Doctoral Dissertation Research: Interactive effects of Market Integration and Seasonality upon Energetics and Ovarian Function in a Lowland Bolivian Amerindian Population

在拉丁美洲，不断变化的社会政治制度、经济和生态环境正在影响着从较传统的维持生存水平的生活方式向较“现代”的生活方式过渡，这种生活方式的特点是更大程度地融入全球市场经济。本研究将探讨生态因素和市场整合如何影响能量平衡和生殖功能在土著低地玻利维亚人口。这将使人们更好地了解文化变革和传统群体融入更大的市场经济的影响。本研究的具体目的如下：1)通过测量提斯曼人的营养状况、饮食组成、体力活动水平和瘦素（一种能量激素）水平，探讨市场一体化对能量学季节性变化的影响；2)研究提斯曼妇女的生育率和生殖力（生殖能力）随季节变化的生态条件的变化；3)评估瘦素作为生殖功能与各种能量条件联系机制的作用。为了实现这些目标，将进行为期一年的实地调查，以便了解齐曼人的季节变化情况。齐曼人是南美洲低地土著居民，目前正经历不同程度的市场一体化。为了实现研究项目的目标，将收集以下数据：人口统计数据、人种学数据、社会经济数据、人体测量数据（身高、体重、身体组成）、基础代谢率、总能量消耗、饮食摄入、瘦素水平和卵巢类固醇水平（雌激素和黄体酮）。这一建议的科学价值在于它考察了跨多个领域的问题。该项目将提供一幅关于文化变革和市场一体化如何影响土著人民的清晰图景。这项研究还将有助于人口和生殖科学领域，帮助我们更好地了解生态和激素因素对非西方化人口生殖健康和生育指标的影响。特别是，对瘦素激素的检查增加了我们对各种生理和生态条件下激素的有限理解。该项目的广泛影响在许多层面上都具有重要意义。更深入地了解市场一体化的影响，可能会减少这种一体化对世界各地土著群体可能造成的破坏性影响。考虑到不仅在发达国家，而且在发展中地区的肥胖率不断上升，对能量学和不断变化的肥胖水平的更深入了解可能会产生广泛的影响。

In Latin America, changing socio-political systems, economic, and ecological circumstances are influencing the transition from more traditional subsistence-level lifestyles to more "modern" ones that are characterized by greater integration into the global market economy. This study will investigate how ecological factors and market integration influence energy balance and reproductive function in an indigenous lowland Bolivian population. This will allow a better understanding of the effects of culture change and the integration of traditional groups into the larger market economy. The specific objectives of this study are as follows: 1) explore the impact of market integration on seasonal changes in energetics through measures of nutritional status, dietary composition, physical activity levels, and leptin (an energetic hormone) levels among the Tsimane, 2) examine the changing rates of fertility and fecundity (reproductive capacity) in response to seasonally varying ecological conditions among Tsimane women and 3) evaluate the role of leptin as a mechanism linking reproductive function to various energetic conditions. To pursue these objectives, fieldwork will be conducted for one year, in order to capture seasonal variation, among the Tsimane, an indigenous lowland South American population currently undergoing varying levels of market integration. The following data will be collected to address the goals of the research project: demographic data, ethnographic data, socio-economic data, anthropometrics (height, weight, body composition), basal metabolic rate, total energy expenditure, dietary intake, leptin levels, and ovarian steroid levels (estrogen and progesterone). The scientific merit of this proposal is that it examines questions that cross multiple fields. This project will provide a clear picture of how culture change and market integration affect indigenous people. This research will also contribute to the fields of demography and reproductive science by helping us to better understand the influences of ecological and hormonal factors on measures of reproductive health and fertility in non-westernized populations. In particular, the examination of the hormone leptin adds to our limited understanding of the hormone across various physiological and ecological conditions. The broader impacts of this project have significance across many levels. A greater understanding of the effects of market integration could potentially lead to a decrease in the disruptive effect such integration may have upon indigenous groups worldwide. A greater understanding of energetics and changing adiposity levels could have wide-ranging effects, considering the ever increasing rate of obesity not only in developed countries, but developing areas as well.