Health in the early contact period: A contemporary example from Papua New Guinea

Signatures of pathogen-driven selection and Austronesian gene flow of Papua New Guinea HLA alleles

“…Although both rubella and mumps were endemic at the time, with low vaccination rates, any impact on survival rates is unknown. 157 Thus, although malaria remains a most plausible candidate, we cannot rule out that other infections, including those we did not examine, 158 are responsible for the signals of selection distinct to the lowlands region that we observed.…”

Signatures of pathogen-driven selection and Austronesian gene flow of Papua New Guinea HLA alleles

“…Although both rubella and mumps were endemic at the time, with low vaccination rates, any impact on survival rates is unknown. 157 Thus, although malaria remains a most plausible candidate, we cannot rule out that other infections, including those we did not examine, 158 are responsible for the signals of selection distinct to the lowlands region that we observed.…”

Sex differences in child nutritional and immunological status 5–9 years post contact in fringe highland Papua New Guinea

“…Male preference may have intensified during the period represented by the present data (Carol Jenkins, personal communication 6/92), due to the greater ability of males to engage in the cash economy (Jenkins, 1988; Jenkins et al, 1989; Melliger, 2000). Moreover, worsening nutritional status among females under 5 contrasted with improving nutritional status among males from 1985 to 1992 (Jenkins and Milton, 1993; Worthman et al, 1993).…”

“…Finally, sex ratios can confirm suggestions that parents are disfavoring daughters. The sex ratio by age for this sample is displayed in Table 3, along with sex ratios from surveys for this same population from 1984 to 1987 (Jenkins, 1988). The statistical significance of the difference between sex ratios in the early and middle periods post contact cannot be established without raw data from 1984 to 1987; however, the male bias appears to have strengthened at all ages.…”

“… a 1984–1987 sex ratios are from Jenkins (1988). That report does not include exact sex ratios, but displays a population pyramid from which approximate sex ratios for each age range were derived. …”

“…During the period from which the study data were drawn, 5–9 years post contact, child well‐being as marked by BMI, stature, inflammation, and humoral immune activity was neither clearly worsening nor improving for the sample as a whole. Although heavy infectious disease load predated December 1983, Jenkins and coworkers (Jenkins, 1987; Jenkins, 1988; Jenkins et al, 1989) have identified both beneficial and deleterious effects linked to intensive contact, with increased medical assistance offset by new avenues for infectious disease exposure. The overall stability in child nutritional and immunological status suggests that countervailing beneficial and deleterious effects of contact were in balance.…”

Signatures of pathogen-driven selection and Austronesian gene flow of Papua New Guinea HLA alleles

“…Although both rubella and mumps were endemic at the time, with low vaccination rates, any impact on survival rates is unknown. 157 Thus, although malaria remains a most plausible candidate, we cannot rule out that other infections, including those we did not examine, 158 are responsible for the signals of selection distinct to the lowlands region that we observed.…”

Sex differences in child nutritional and immunological status 5–9 years post contact in fringe highland Papua New Guinea

“…Male preference may have intensified during the period represented by the present data (Carol Jenkins, personal communication 6/92), due to the greater ability of males to engage in the cash economy (Jenkins, 1988; Jenkins et al, 1989; Melliger, 2000). Moreover, worsening nutritional status among females under 5 contrasted with improving nutritional status among males from 1985 to 1992 (Jenkins and Milton, 1993; Worthman et al, 1993).…”

“…Finally, sex ratios can confirm suggestions that parents are disfavoring daughters. The sex ratio by age for this sample is displayed in Table 3, along with sex ratios from surveys for this same population from 1984 to 1987 (Jenkins, 1988). The statistical significance of the difference between sex ratios in the early and middle periods post contact cannot be established without raw data from 1984 to 1987; however, the male bias appears to have strengthened at all ages.…”

“… a 1984–1987 sex ratios are from Jenkins (1988). That report does not include exact sex ratios, but displays a population pyramid from which approximate sex ratios for each age range were derived. …”

“…During the period from which the study data were drawn, 5–9 years post contact, child well‐being as marked by BMI, stature, inflammation, and humoral immune activity was neither clearly worsening nor improving for the sample as a whole. Although heavy infectious disease load predated December 1983, Jenkins and coworkers (Jenkins, 1987; Jenkins, 1988; Jenkins et al, 1989) have identified both beneficial and deleterious effects linked to intensive contact, with increased medical assistance offset by new avenues for infectious disease exposure. The overall stability in child nutritional and immunological status suggests that countervailing beneficial and deleterious effects of contact were in balance.…”

Signatures of pathogen-driven selection and Austronesian gene flow of Papua New Guinea HLA alleles

“…Although both rubella and mumps were endemic at the time, with low vaccination rates, any impact on survival rates is unknown. 157 Thus, although malaria remains a most plausible candidate, we cannot rule out that other infections, including those we did not examine, 158 are responsible for the signals of selection distinct to the lowlands region that we observed.…”

Sex differences in child nutritional and immunological status 5–9 years post contact in fringe highland Papua New Guinea

“…Male preference may have intensified during the period represented by the present data (Carol Jenkins, personal communication 6/92), due to the greater ability of males to engage in the cash economy (Jenkins, 1988; Jenkins et al, 1989; Melliger, 2000). Moreover, worsening nutritional status among females under 5 contrasted with improving nutritional status among males from 1985 to 1992 (Jenkins and Milton, 1993; Worthman et al, 1993).…”

“…Finally, sex ratios can confirm suggestions that parents are disfavoring daughters. The sex ratio by age for this sample is displayed in Table 3, along with sex ratios from surveys for this same population from 1984 to 1987 (Jenkins, 1988). The statistical significance of the difference between sex ratios in the early and middle periods post contact cannot be established without raw data from 1984 to 1987; however, the male bias appears to have strengthened at all ages.…”

“… a 1984–1987 sex ratios are from Jenkins (1988). That report does not include exact sex ratios, but displays a population pyramid from which approximate sex ratios for each age range were derived. …”

“…During the period from which the study data were drawn, 5–9 years post contact, child well‐being as marked by BMI, stature, inflammation, and humoral immune activity was neither clearly worsening nor improving for the sample as a whole. Although heavy infectious disease load predated December 1983, Jenkins and coworkers (Jenkins, 1987; Jenkins, 1988; Jenkins et al, 1989) have identified both beneficial and deleterious effects linked to intensive contact, with increased medical assistance offset by new avenues for infectious disease exposure. The overall stability in child nutritional and immunological status suggests that countervailing beneficial and deleterious effects of contact were in balance.…”