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传统的仅能维持生计的生活方式向更“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一体化如何影响土著低地玻利维亚人口的能量平衡和生殖功能。这将有助于更好地了解文化变革和传统群体融入更大市场经济的影响。本研究的具体目标如下：1）通过测量营养状况、膳食组成、体力活动水平和瘦素，探讨市场一体化对能量学季节性变化的影响。（一种充满活力的激素）水平，2）检查生育率和生殖力的变化率（生殖能力）在响应季节性变化的生态条件Tsimane妇女和3）评估瘦素的作用，作为一种机制，连接生殖功能的各种能量条件。 为了实现这些目标，将进行为期一年的实地考察，以了解南美洲低地土著居民Tsimane人的季节性变化，他们目前正在经历不同程度的市场一体化。将收集以下数据以实现研究项目的目标：人口统计学数据、人种学数据、社会经济数据、人体测量学（身高、体重、身体成分）、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（雌激素和孕激素）。这一建议的科学价值在于，它考察了跨多个领域的问题。该项目将清楚地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人口学和生殖科学领域，帮助我们更好地了解生态和激素因素对非西化人口生殖健康和生育率的影响。 特别是，检查激素瘦素增加了我们对激素在各种生理和生态条件下的有限理解。该项目的广泛影响在许多层面上都具有重要意义。更好地了解市场一体化的影响，有可能减少这种一体化可能对世界各地土著群体造成的破坏性影响。 更好地理解能量学和不断变化的肥胖水平可能会产生广泛的影响，考虑到肥胖率不仅在发达国家，而且在发展中地区也不断增加。

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.