A Cross-Cultural Nutrition Survey of 118 Societies, Representing the Major Cultural and Geographic Areas of the World

University Microfilms, Inc. • Ann Arbor, MI • Published In • Pages: ??•
By Whiting, Marjorie Grant

Abstract

Dietary variation has been implicated in population-level heath outcomes such as adult height and infant health. Here the author investigates these relationships in a sample of 118 nonindustrial societies, providing a comparative and quantitative assessment of nutrition and health cross-culturally.

Samples

Sample Used Coded Data Comment
HRAF Collection of Ethnography (paper/fiche)Researcher's Own
Various sourcesResearcher's Own

Hypotheses (22)

HypothesisSupported
Adult male height will be greater in societies located in high latitudes than those located in low latitudes (240).Supported
Adult male height will be greater in societies with high calorie diets than those with low calorie diets (240).Supported
Adult male height will be greater in societies with high protein diets than those with low protein societies (240).Supported
Adult male height with be greater in societies that increase protein for women during pregnancy than those who do not (240).Some support
Adult male height will be greater in societies that increase protein for boys at puberty than those that do not (240).Some support
Adults will be healthier in societies located in high latitudes than those in low latitudes (235).Supported
Adults will be healthier in societies with a high calorie diet than societies with a low calorie diet (235).Supported
Adults will be healthier in societies with high protein intake than those with low protein intake (235).Some support
Adults will be healthier in societies with high fat intake than in societies with low fat intake (235).Supported
Adults will be healthier in societies with low carbohydrate intake than those with high carbohydrate intake (235).Some support
Adults will be healthier in societies with a long nursing period than in societies with a short nursing period (235).Some support
Infants will be healthier in societies with high calorie diets than those with low calorie diets (230).Some support
Infants will be healthier in societies with long nursing periods than those with short nursing periods (230).Supported
Infants will be healthier in societies that customarily feed a high protein supplement to infants than those that do not (230).Some support
Infants will be healthier in societies located in higher latitudes than those located in lower latitudes (230).Mixed
Infants will be healthier in societies with high protein intake than those with low protein intake (230).Mixed
Infants will be healthier in societies that increase protein intake during lactation than those that do not (230).Mixed
Infants will be healthier in societies that use colostrum than those that discard colostrum (230).Not Supported
Infants will be healthier in societies that use breastmilk from women other than the mother than those who do not (230).Not Supported
Infants will be healthier in societies that increase calories for women during lactation than those that do not (230).Not Supported
The age of weaning will be later in societies with higher percentages of protein in the average diet (230).Some support
The age of weaning is later in societies with high calorie diets than those with low calorie diets (230).Mixed
Documents and Hypotheses Filed By: erik.ringen  abbe.mccarter