@article{SchefflerBoginHermanussen2021,
  author    = {Scheffler, Christiane and Bogin, Barry and Hermanussen, Michael},
  title     = {Catch-up growth is a better indicator of undernutrition than thresholds for stunting},
  series = {Public health nutrition : PHN / The Nutrition Society},
  volume    = {24},
  journal   = {Public health nutrition : PHN / The Nutrition Society},
  number    = {1},
  publisher = {Cambridge University Press},
  address   = {Cambridge ; New York, NY},
  issn      = {1475-2727},
  doi       = {10.1017/S1368980020003067},
  pages     = {52 -- 61},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Objective: Stunting (height-for-age < -2 SD) is one of the forms of undernutrition and is frequent among children of low- and middle-income countries. But stunting perSe is not a synonym of undernutrition. We investigated association between body height and indicators of energetic undernutrition at three critical thresholds for thinness used in public health: (1) BMI SDS < -2; (2) mid-upper arm circumference divided by height (MUAC (mm) × 10/height (cm) < 1·36) and (3) mean skinfold thickness (SF) < 7 mm and to question the reliability of thresholds as indicators of undernutrition. Design: Cross-sectional study; breakpoint analysis. Setting: Rural and urban regions of Indonesia and Guatemala - different socio-economic status (SES). Participants: 1716 Indonesian children (6·0-13·2 years) and 3838 Guatemalan children (4·0-18·9 years) with up to 50 \% stunted children. Results: When separating the regression of BMI, MUAC or SF, on height into distinguishable segments (breakpoint analysis), we failed to detect relevant associations between height, and BMI, MUAC or SF, even in the thinnest and shortest children. For BMI and SF, the breakpoint analysis either failed to reach statistical significance or distinguished at breakpoints above critical thresholds. For MUAC, the breakpoint analysis yielded negative associations between MUAC/h and height in thin individuals. Only in high SES Guatemalan children, SF and height appeared mildly associated with R2 = 0·017. Conclusions: Currently used lower thresholds of height-for-age (stunting) do not show relevant associations with anthropometric indicators of energetic undernutrition. We recommend using the catch-up growth spurt during early re-feeding instead as immediate and sensitive indicator of past undernourishment. We discuss the primacy of education and social-economic-political-emotional circumstances as responsible factors for stunting.},
  language  = {en}
}
@inproceedings{BoginHermanussenScheffler2021,
  author    = {Bogin, Barry and Hermanussen, Michael and Scheffler, Christiane},
  title     = {Fear, violence, inequality and stunting in Guatemala},
  series = {American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Association},
  volume    = {33},
  booktitle = {American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Association},
  publisher = {Wiley Interscience},
  address   = {New York, NY [u.a.]},
  issn      = {1520-6300},
  doi       = {10.1002/ajhb.23593},
  pages     = {1},
  year      = {2021},
  language  = {en}
}
@misc{SenBoginMondaletal.2021,
  author    = {Sen, Jaydip and Bogin, Barry and Mondal, Nitish and Dey, Sima and Roy, Shreysai},
  title     = {Groundwater arsenic contamination in the Bengal Delta Plain is an important public health issue},
  series = {Human Biology and Public Health},
  volume    = {2021},
  journal   = {Human Biology and Public Health},
  number    = {1},
  editor    = {Scheffler, Christiane and Koziel, Slawomir and Hermanussen, Michael and Bogin, Barry},
  publisher = {Universit{\"a}tsverlag Potsdam},
  address   = {Potsdam},
  issn      = {2748-9957},
  doi       = {10.52905/hbph.v1.7},
  pages     = {1 -- 31},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {There is a close association between human biology, epidemiology and public health. Exposure to toxic elements is one area of such associations and global concerns. The Bengal Delta Plain (BDP) is a region where contamination of ground water by arsenic has assumed epidemic proportions. Apart from dermatological manifestations, chronic exposure to arsenic causes a heavy toll through several carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic disorders. This article provides a global overview of groundwater arsenic contamination in the BDP region, especially the sources, speciation, and mobility of arsenic, and critically reviews the effects of arsenic on human health. The present review also provides a summary of comprehensive knowledge on various measures required for mitigation and social consequences of the problem of arsenic contaminated groundwater in the BDP region.},
  language  = {en}
}
@misc{Bogin2021,
  author    = {Bogin, Barry},
  title     = {Social-Economic-Political-Emotional (SEPE) factors regulate human growth},
  series = {Human Biology and Public Health},
  volume    = {2021},
  journal   = {Human Biology and Public Health},
  number    = {1},
  editor    = {Scheffler, Christiane and Koziel, Slawomir and Hermanussen, Michael and Bogin, Barry},
  publisher = {Universit{\"a}tsverlag Potsdam},
  address   = {Potsdam},
  issn      = {2748-9957},
  doi       = {10.52905/hbph.v1.10},
  pages     = {1 -- 20},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Background There is a recurring and seamless interaction between the biology of human development and the social-economic-political-emotional (SEPE) environment. The SEPE environment influences the quality of the material conditions for human biology and, simultaneously, human growth in height and other dimensions provide social and moral signals that provide information to community networks. Objectives This article reviews the role of SEPE factors in human growth, especially skeletal growth. Sample and Methods The meaning of SEPE is defined and shown to be related to individual and group prestige, to social identity, and to ego and task motivation. These influence dominance or subordination of communities and the material and moral conditions of societies. Historical and contemporary examples of SEPE effects on skeletal size are presented. Results Membership in a SEPE community impacts skeletal size in height and breadth. Higher SEPE classes are taller, lower SEPE classes are broader. In elite level sport the winners have more growth stimulation via the hormone IGF-1 even before the contest. These findings are explained in terms of dominance versus subordination and the Community Effect in Height hypothesis. Conclusions SEPE factor regulation of human growth is shown to be a more comprehensive explanation for plasticity in height than traditional concepts such as socioeconomic status and simple-minded genetic determinism. People belonging to upper SEPE class communities, the elites, know that they are superior and are treated as such by the non-elites. The material and moral condition for life operating through these community social networks provide positive stimulation for the elites and negative stimulation for the lower SEPE classes. These differences maintain the gradients in height between SEPE communities in human societies.},
  language  = {en}
}