Abstract
BackgroundAdrenarche involves maturation of the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal axis and increased production of dehydroepiandrosterone and its sulfate ester, dehydroepiandrosterone‐sulfate (DHEA‐S). It occurs at ages 6 to 8 in industrialized populations, marking the transition from childhood to juvenility and cognitive development at middle childhood. Studies in subsistence level populations indicate a later age (8‐9) for adrenarche, but only two such studies currently exist for comparison.AimsTo investigate adrenarcheal age among Maya girls and its association with body composition and dietary variables. We hypothesized adrenarche would occur earlier given the current dual burden of nutrition in Mexico.Materials and Methods25 Maya girls aged 7 to 9 from Merida, Mexico using ELISAs to measure salivary DHEA‐S, standard anthropometry for height, weight, and skinfolds, bioelectrical impedance for body composition variables, as well as a food frequency questionnaire for dietary information.ResultsOur hypothesis was rejected—adrenarche occurred close to 9 years. While no measures of body composition were significantly associated with adrenarcheal status, girls eating meat and dairy products more frequently had significantly higher DHEA‐S levels.DiscussionLike other populations living in ecologically challenging environments, adrenarche occurred relatively late among Maya girls. Adrenarche has been linked to measures of body composition, particularly, the adiposity or body mass index rebound, but no relevant anthropometric measures were associated, possibly because of the small sample.ConclusionFurther studies are required to illuminate how adrenarcheal variation relates to developmental plasticity, body composition, pubertal progression, and animal product consumption in other transitional populations.
Highlights
Despite adrenarche's significance in explaining early life plasticity, few anthropological studies have examined this enigmatic developmental phase (Helfrecht, Dira, & Meehan, 2017; Houghton et al, 2014). Helfrecht et al (2017) recently estimated adrenarcheal ages for Aka foragers (9 years), Ngandu horticulturalists (9 years), and Sidama agropastoralists (8 years) in sub-Saharan Africa by comparing dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S) levels in hair samples from 480 children aged 3 to 18
Weight was significantly associated with adrenarcheal status (U = 23.00, P = .030), but not z-score median-forweight, presumably because this adjusted for age
Little is known about normal variation in adrenarcheal age among human populations living in diverse settings
Summary
Despite adrenarche's significance in explaining early life plasticity, few anthropological studies have examined this enigmatic developmental phase (Helfrecht, Dira, & Meehan, 2017; Houghton et al, 2014). Helfrecht et al (2017) recently estimated adrenarcheal ages for Aka foragers (9 years), Ngandu horticulturalists (9 years), and Sidama agropastoralists (8 years) in sub-Saharan Africa by comparing dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S) levels in hair samples from 480 children aged 3 to 18. Adrenarche involves maturation of the hypothalamic-pituitaryadrenal axis and increased production of dehydroepiandrosterone and its sulfate ester, dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S). It occurs at ages 6 to 8 in industrialized populations, marking the transition from childhood to juvenility and cognitive development at middle childhood. Aims: To investigate adrenarcheal age among Maya girls and its association with body composition and dietary variables. While no measures of body composition were significantly associated with adrenarcheal status, girls eating meat and dairy products more frequently had significantly higher DHEA-S levels. Conclusion: Further studies are required to illuminate how adrenarcheal variation relates to developmental plasticity, body composition, pubertal progression, and animal product consumption in other transitional populations
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
More From: American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.