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从更传统的最低生活水平的生活方式向更“现代”的生活方式的过渡，这种生活方式的特点是更多地融入全球市场经济。这项研究将调查生态因素和市场整合如何影响玻利维亚低地土著人口的能量平衡和生殖功能。这将使人们更好地了解文化变化的影响以及传统群体融入更大的市场经济的影响。这项研究的具体目标如下：1)通过测量马来西亚人的营养状况、饮食组成、体力活动水平和瘦素(一种能量荷尔蒙)水平，探讨市场一体化对能量的季节性变化的影响；2)检查因季节变化的生态条件而产生的生育力和繁殖力(生殖能力)的变化率；以及3)评估瘦素作为一种将生殖功能与各种能量条件联系起来的机制的作用。为实现这些目标，将进行为期一年的实地调查，以捕捉Tsimane人的季节性变化，Tsimane人是目前正在进行不同程度的市场一体化的南美洲低地土著人口。将收集以下数据以实现研究项目的目标：人口统计数据、人种学数据、社会经济数据、人体测量学(身高、体重、身体组成)、基础代谢率、总能量消耗、饮食摄入量、瘦素水平和卵巢类固醇水平(雌激素和孕激素)。这一提议的科学价值在于，它研究了跨越多个领域的问题。该项目将提供一幅清晰的图景，说明文化变化和市场一体化如何影响土著人民。这项研究还将有助于我们更好地了解生态和激素因素对非西化人口生殖健康和生育指标的影响，从而为人口学和生殖科学领域做出贡献。特别是，对瘦素激素的检测增加了我们对各种生理和生态条件下的激素有限的了解。该项目的更广泛影响在许多层面上都具有重要意义。更好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产生的破坏性影响。考虑到肥胖率的不断上升，不仅在发达国家，而且在发展中国家，更多地了解能量学和改变肥胖水平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.