scholarly journals Biological and environmental influences on motor coordination in Peruvian children and adolescents

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Pereira ◽  
Alcibíades Bustamante ◽  
Carla Santos ◽  
Donald Hedeker ◽  
Go Tani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Altitude ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Motor Coordination ◽  
Geographical Area ◽  
Environmental Influences ◽  
Geographical Region ◽  
Pediatric Care ◽  
Gross Motor ◽  
Geographical Regions

AbstractThis study investigated the associations between biological and environmental factors and gross-motor coordination (GMC) in Peruvian children and adolescents. The sample comprised 7401 boys and girls, aged 6–14 years, recruited from three geographical regions: sea-level, Amazon and high-altitude. Biological variables included age, sex, height, BMI, physical fitness, stunting, and maturational status. Environmental influences included geographical region and school characteristics. Gross-motor coordination was tested with the Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder and the data analyzed by multilevel logistic regression. Results showed a high prevalence of below normal GMC scores. Sex, age, geographical area, biological maturation, BMI (normal versus overweight/obesity), and stunting were all significant predictors of GMC. There was also an interaction between age, sex, and geographical area indicating that older girls who lived at sea-level and high-altitude were more likely to display below normal GMC scores. The school context was less important in predicting GMC problems than the interplay between biological characteristics and geographical region. These results suggest that early identification, as well as educational and pediatric care interventions, are of importance in reducing below normal GMC among Peruvian children and adolescents.

scholarly journals Individual, school and natural environment influences on children with motor coordination problems: The Peruvian Health and Optimist Growth Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Pereira ◽  
Alcibíades Bustamante ◽  
Carla Santos ◽  
Donald Hedeker ◽  
Go Tani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nutritional Status ◽  
Physical Fitness ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Natural Environment ◽  
Motor Coordination ◽  
School Context ◽  
Geographical Area ◽  
Pediatric Care ◽  
Biological Maturation

Abstract This study investigates the interplay between individual and natural environments, as well as the effects of school characteristics, on Peruvian children and adolescents’ gross motor coordination (GMC) problems. The sample comprises 7401 participants (4121 girls) aged 6–14 years from three geographical regions: sea-level, Amazon and high-altitude. GMC categories (normal and with problems) were defined from the KörperkoordinationsTest für Kinder test battery. Stunting (height-for-age) and nutritional status (BMI-for-age) were obtained from WHO Growth Standards. Biological maturation was estimated, and physical fitness was measured. School context information was obtained from an objective audit. Logistic multilevel analysis was used. Results showed a high prevalence of GMC problems in Peruvian youth. Sex, age, geographical area of residence, biological maturation, nutritional status, stunting and physical fitness were important predictors of GMC problems. Moreover, there was an interaction between age, sex, and geographical area showing that girls, older subjects, and those from sea level regions were more likely to display GMC problems. The school context was less important in predicting GMC problems than the interplay between individual characteristics and the natural environment. The early identification as well as educational and pediatric care interventions are of utmost importance to reduce GMC problems among Peruvian children and adolescents.

scholarly journals Correlates of Overweight in Children and Adolescents Living at Different Altitudes: The Peruvian Health and Optimist Growth Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Carla Santos ◽  
Alcibíades Bustamante ◽  
Donald Hedeker ◽  
Olga Vasconcelos ◽  
Rui Garganta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Altitude ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Extracurricular Activities ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
School Level ◽  
Obesity Epidemic ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Overweight Prevalence ◽  
Different Altitudes

Background and Aim. Overweight prevalence in children and adolescents shows great variability which is related to individual-level and environmental-level factors. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of and factors associated with overweight in Peruvian children and adolescents living at different altitudes. Methods. 8568 subjects, aged 6–16 y, from the sea level, Amazon, and high-altitude regions were sampled. Overweight was identified using BMI; biological maturation and physical fitness were measured; school characteristics were assessed via an objective audit. Results. Overweight prevalence decreased with age (28.3% at 6 y to 13.9% at 16 y); it was higher in girls (21.7%) than boys (19.8%) and was higher at the sea level (41.3%), compared with Amazon (18.8%) and high-altitude (6.3%) regions. Approximately 79% of the variance in overweight was explained by child-level characteristics. In Model 1, all child-level predictors were significant (p<0.001); in Model 2, six out of nine added school-level predictors (number of students, existence of policies and practices for physical activity, multisports-roofed, duration of Physical Education classes, and extracurricular activities) were significant (p<0.001); in Model 3, subjects living at high altitudes were less likely to be overweight than those living at the sea level. Conclusions. Child- and school-level variables played important roles in explaining overweight variation. This information should be taken into account when designing more efficient strategies to combat the overweight and obesity epidemic.

scholarly journals Stunting and Physical Fitness. The Peruvian Health and Optimist Growth Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (10) ◽  
pp. 3440
Author(s):  
Carla Santos ◽  
Alcibíades Bustamante ◽  
Olga Vasconcelos ◽  
Sara Pereira ◽  
Rui Garganta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Fitness ◽  
High Altitude ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Normal Growth ◽  
World Health ◽  
Anova Model ◽  
Geographical Regions ◽  
Long Jump ◽  
Health Organization

Stunting, defined as linear growth retardation, is a serious public health problem in developing countries. We aimed to (1) describe the prevalence of stunting in Peruvian youth living in three geographical regions, and to (2) determine height and physical fitness (PF) differences between stunted and normal-growth children across age and sex. We sampled 7918 subjects (7074 normal-growth and 844 stunted), aged 6–15 year, from sea-level, Amazon and high-altitude regions of Peru. PF was assessed with standardized tests, and stunting was computed following World Health Organization (WHO) standards. A two-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) model was used. Results showed that stunting prevalence increased with age (from 6% at 6 year to 18.4% at 15 year in girls, and 9.3% at 6 year to 16.4% at 15 year in boys); was higher in boys (12.3%) than in girls (9.3%), and was higher in the Amazon region (25.3%), followed by high-altitude (24.3%) and sea-level (8.1%). Stunting had a negative overall impact on girls’ and boys’ statures. Further, the age-by-stunting interactions were statistically significant for both sexes, and significant differences in height varied to some degree across age. Stunted children performed worse in handgrip and standing long jump, but outperformed their normal-growth peers in shuttle-run (only boys), and in 12 min run. Further, significant differences in the age-by-stunting interaction occurred in all PF tests, varying to some degree across age. In conclusion, stunting significantly affects Peruvian youth’s PF levels, and this influence is sex-, age- and PF test-specific.

A multilevel analysis of gross motor coordination of children and adolescents living at different altitudes: the Peruvian Health and Optimist Growth Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 355-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla Santos ◽  
Alcibíades Bustamante ◽  
Donald Hedeker ◽  
Olga Vasconcelos ◽  
Rui Garganta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Multilevel Analysis ◽  
Motor Coordination ◽  
Growth Study ◽  
Gross Motor ◽  
Different Altitudes

scholarly journals The epidemiology of Moebius syndrome in Italy

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arturo Carta ◽  
Stefania Favilla ◽  
Giacomo Calzetti ◽  
Maria Cristina Casalini ◽  
Pier Francesco Ferrari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Demographic Data ◽  
Geographical Area ◽  
National Level ◽  
Age At Diagnosis ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Italian Population ◽  
Moebius Syndrome ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Geographical Regions ◽  
Chi Square Analysis

Abstract Background The epidemiology of Moebius syndrome (MBS) is difficult to assess. In the present study, we investigated the epidemiology of MBS in a well-defined population within a precise geographical area. Materials and methods Our university hospital is the only national referral center for the diagnosis and treatment of MBS. Participants in this cross-sectional study were patients affected by MBS who had been periodically followed by our medical staff since 1998. Most of the patients were referred to our hospital by the Italian Association of Moebius Syndrome (AISMO). Demographic data necessary for study purposes were made available in the AISMO database, updated to April 2018. Subjects were assigned to geographical macroareas that are conventionally used in surveys and epidemiological investigations by the Italian National Institute of Statistics. The rates and prevalence of MBS cases were calculated on the basis of the last available survey of the Italian population. Each study parameter was then calculated with reference to the whole country and macroarea partition. The sex rate and the corresponding prevalence were calculated with respect to the weighted whole population and to the respective sex population. Chi-square analysis was adopted to investigate possible differences among geographical regions and/or sexes. A p value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results One hundred and sixty-four out of 212 MBS patients fulfilled our inclusion criteria. All cases occurred in Caucasian patients and were sporadic. The median age at diagnosis was 3.6 years, ranging from 0 to 55 years; this range was significantly reduced to 0–5 years (median age at diagnosis: 2.2 years) in patients included after 2007. The calculated prevalence at birth was 0.06 cases per 10,000 live births, with an overall prevalence of 0.27/100,000, without any sex or geographical predominance. Conclusions The prevalence of MBS observed herein, rounded for possible underestimation, was 0.3/100,000 people, without any regional difference in the distribution of cases. Our data confirm the rarity of the disease on a national level.

scholarly journals Effect of high altitude on human placental amino acid transport

2020 ◽  
Vol 128 (1) ◽  
pp. 127-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Owen. R. Vaughan ◽  
Fredrick Thompson ◽  
Ramón. A. Lorca ◽  
Colleen G. Julian ◽  
Theresa L. Powell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Birth Weight ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
High Altitude ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Amino Acid Transport ◽  
Acid Uptake ◽  
Acid Transport ◽  
Transport Capacity ◽  
System A ◽  
Low Altitude

Women residing at high altitudes deliver infants of lower birth weight than at sea level. Birth weight correlates with placental system A-mediated amino acid transport capacity, and severe environmental hypoxia reduces system A activity in isolated trophoblast and the mouse placenta. However, the effect of high altitude on human placental amino acid transport remains unknown. We hypothesized that microvillous membrane (MVM) system A and system L amino acid transporter activity is lower in placentas of women living at high altitude compared with low-altitude controls. Placentas were collected at term from healthy pregnant women residing at high altitude (HA; >2,500 m; n = 14) or low altitude (LA; <1,700 m; n = 14) following planned, unlabored cesarean section. Birth weight, but not placenta weight, was 13% lower in HA pregnancies (2.88 ± 0.11 kg) compared with LA (3.30 ± 0.07 kg, P < 0.01). MVM erythropoietin receptor abundance, determined by immunoblot, was greater in HA than in LA placentas, consistent with lower placental oxygen levels at HA. However, there was no effect of altitude on MVM system A or L activity, determined by Na+-dependent [14C]methylaminoisobutyric acid uptake and [3H]leucine uptake, respectively. MVM abundance of glucose transporters (GLUTs) 1 and 4 and basal membrane GLUT4 were also similar in LA and HA placentas. Low birth weights in the neonates of women residing at high altitude are not a consequence of reduced placental amino acid transport capacity. These observations are in general agreement with studies of IUGR babies at low altitude, in which MVM system A activity is downregulated only in growth-restricted babies with significant compromise. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Babies born at high altitude are smaller than at sea level. Birth weight is dependent on growth in utero and, in turn, placental nutrient transport. We determined amino acid transport capacity in placentas collected from women resident at low and high altitude. Altitude did not affect system A amino acid transport across the syncytiotrophoblast microvillous membrane, suggesting that impaired placental amino acid transport does not contribute to reduced birth weight in this high-altitude population.

Body water metabolism in high altitude natives during and after a stay at sea level

1981 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. C. Jain ◽  
Jaya Bardhan ◽  
Y. V. Swamy ◽  
A. Grover ◽  
H. S. Nayar
Keyword(s):  
High Altitude ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Body Water ◽  
Water Metabolism ◽  
High Altitude Natives

scholarly journals Seasonal and Altitudinal Prevalence of Fascioliasis in Buffalo in Eastern Nepal

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 48-53
Author(s):  
Ramesh Prasad Sah ◽  
Hari Kumar Prasai ◽  
Jiban Shrestha ◽  
Md Hasanuzzaman Talukder ◽  
AKM Anisur Rahman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
High Altitude ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Rainy Season ◽  
Meat Production ◽  
Parasitic Diseases ◽  
Sedimentation Technique ◽  
Risk Period ◽  
Pasture Contamination ◽  
Low Altitude

Buffalo is the most important livestock commodities for milk, meat production and several other multipurpose uses distributed densely from southern tarai to northern mid-hills in Nepal. Among several internal parasitic diseases fascioliasis is highly economic one caused by Fasciola in buffaloes. However, there are only few studies carried on prevalence of fascioliasis emphasizing buffaloes in relation to seasonal (summer and rainy, and winter) and altitudinal variations. Therefore, we examined prevalence of fascioliasis seasonally and vertically. For the purpose, we selected two districts of eastern Nepal and sampled from low altitude area known as Madhesha ranging from 175-200, Dhankuta from 800-1200 m, and Murtidhunga from 1800-2200 m elevation from the sea level, representing tarai, mid hills and high hills, respectively. Altogether from February 2013 to January 2014 at every two months interval we collected 798 fecal samples from buffaloes; 282 from Murtidhunga, 239 from Dhankuta and 277 from Madhesha. The samples were examined microscopically for the presence of Fasciola eggs using sedimentation technique. Results showed that overall prevalence of fascioliasis in buffaloes was 39.9% (319/798), ranging highest 42.6%in Madhesha followed by 39.7% in Murtidhunga and 37.2% in Dhankuta, respectively. The prevalence of fascioliasis was found to be significantly (p <0.05) high in winter (44.9%) comparing to rainy season (34.4%). The prevalence of fascioliasis in buffaloes was relatively higher in low altitude than high altitude, although it was not statistically significant (p <0.05). In our findings the female buffaloes showed higher prevalence for fascioliasis than in male. Since the fascioliasis in buffaloes is highly endemic, thus strategic deworming in high risk period is recommended along with measure to prevent pasture contamination with buffalo feces.

A STUDY OF VARIOUS INDICES OF ADRENOCORTICAL ACTIVITY DURING 23 DAYS AT HIGH ALTITUDE

1963 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 555-566 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. C. B. MACKINNON ◽  
M. E. MONK-JONES ◽  
K. FOTHERBY
Keyword(s):  
Length Of Stay ◽  
High Altitude ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Acute Exposure ◽  
Adrenocorticotrophic Hormone ◽  
Adrenocortical Activity

SUMMARY 1. Four men and three women ascended by télépherique and helicopter from 1000 to 4333 m. where they remained for 23 days. 2. Measurements of urinary 17-hydroxycorticosteroids, 17-oxosteroids, pregnanediol and pregnanetriol and circulating eosinophils were made at sea level and at high altitude. 3. An attempt was also made to measure changes in emotional activity by means of the palmar sweat index (PSI). This index was assessed at intervals throughout the day at sea level and at high altitude, and in response to adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) and a self-imposed stress. 4. Within 24 hr. of acute exposure to high altitude urinary 17-hydroxycorticosteroids increased whilst circulating eosinophils decreased; by the 5th day both were returning to sea-level values. The output of 17-oxosteroids was lower by the 5th day at high altitude and subsequently increased; pregnanediol and pregnanetriol levels remained unchanged. 5. PSIs throughout the day become progressively lower as the length of stay at altitude increased. The response to ACTH at sea level and high altitude appeared to be similar but the response to a self-imposed stress was longer in duration at high altitude than at sea level.

scholarly journals Maximum Expiratory Flow of Children and Adolescents Living at Moderate Altitudes: Proposed Reference Values

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 264
Author(s):  
Marco Cossio-Bolaños ◽  
Rubén Vidal-Espinoza ◽  
Luis Felipe Castelli Correia de Campos ◽  
Luis Urzua-Alul ◽  
José Damián Fuentes-López ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Reference Values ◽  
Lower Limbs ◽  
Height Velocity ◽  
Chronological Age ◽  
International Studies ◽  
Peak Height Velocity ◽  
Geographical Regions ◽  
Maximum Expiratory Flow ◽  
Expiratory Flow

(1) Background: Spirometry is useful for diagnosing and monitoring many respiratory diseases. The objectives were: (a) compare maximum expiratory flow (MEF) values with those from international studies, (b) determine if MEF should be evaluated by chronological age and/or maturity, (c) develop reference norms for children, and adolescents. (2) Methods: A cross-sectional study was designed with 3900 subjects ages 6.0 and 17.9 years old. Weight, standing height, sitting height, and MEF were measured. Length of the lower limbs, body mass index (BMI), and age of peak height velocity growth (APHV) were calculated. (3) Results: Values for the curves (p50) for females of all ages from Spain and Italy were higher (92 to 382 (L/min)) than those for females from Arequipa (Peru). Curve values for males from Spain and Italy were greater [70 to 125 (L/min)] than the males studied. MEF values were similar to those of Chilean students ages 6 to 11. However, from 12 to 17 years old, values were lower in males (25 to 55 (L/min)) and in females (23.5 to 90 (L/min)). Correlations between chronological age and MEF in males were from (r = 0.68, R2 = 0.39) and in females from (r = 0.46, R2 = 0.21). Correlations between maturity (APHV) and MEF for males were from (r = 0.66, R2 = 0.44) and for females (r = 0.51, R2 = 0.26). Percentiles were calculated for chronological age and APHV. Conclusion: Differences occurred in MEF when compared with other geographical regions of the world. We determined that maturity may be a more effective indicator for analyzing MEF. Reference values were generated using chronological age and maturity.

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