Power and pollutant exposure in the context of American Indian health and survival

Abstract

American Indians and Alaskan Natives (AI/AN) are a highly diverse group in terms of culture and language but share a history of oppression and attempted extermination that has left many with a legacy of poverty and poor health. Cultural and biological survival are important issues for many AI/AN groups. Using US criteria, AI/AN groups are more likely to be poor. The US National Center for Health Statistics reports that US AI/ANs have higher mortality and morbidity rates than the US population. While all groups racially defined by the US National Center for Health Statistics are experiencing a decline in fertility since 1983, AI/ANs seem to be suffering a substantially greater and earlier decline in fertility. Given the importance of fertility in the survival of AI/AN communities, it is important to identify the source of this decline. A recent study of one AI/AN group living along the St. Lawrence River found that obesity and exposure to a particular group of polychlorinated biphenyls were the factors most highly associated with indicators of impaired fertility. Economic factors are often cited as reasons for fertility declines, however in this situation these other factors may have either primary or contributing roles. If the associations with obesity and toxicant exposure are confirmed, intervening on these factors might be important steps in stemming continued declines in fertility.

Human biology of poverty

“…The biological effects of war and forced displacement Schell et al (2016) present a study on pollutant exposure among American Indians and Alaskan Natives (AI/AN) and its association with fertility decline. Historically, AI/AN have been subjected to oppression, attempted extermination and systemic poverty.…”

Medicolegal death investigations on tribal lands—underrepresented or underserved?

“…AIAN people experience health challenges (e.g., diabetes, heart disease, influenza and pneumonia, mental health and substance use disorders) at a disproportionately higher rate than the general population [ 11 ]. These higher disease burdens and mortality rates have been attributed to adverse social determinants of health, including structural racism, education, disproportionate poverty, access to healthcare and health insurance, discrimination in the delivery of health services, exposure to environmental toxins, broad quality-of-life adversities linked to socioeconomic characteristics, among other causal mortality and morbidity relationships [ [12] , [13] , [14] , [15] , [16] , [17] , [18] , [19] , [20] , [21] , [22] , [23] , [24] , [25] , [26] , [27] , [28] , [29] ]. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic had a sharp impact on the non-Hispanic AIAN population, which experienced the greatest decline in life expectancy (1.9 years) relative to other racial/ethnic groups between 2020 and 2021 [ 30 ].…”

Diversity of main anthropometric traits of infants and early age children in connection with anthropogenic factors

“…Øèðîêèé ñïåêòð òåõíîãåííûõ çàãðÿçíèòåëåé îêàçûâàåò ìíîãîîáðàçíîå âîçäåéñòâèå íà áèîëîãèþ ÷åëîâåêà â ñàìîì øèðîêîì ñìûñëå, âêëþ÷àÿ ðîñò è ðàçâèòèå, ñìåðòíîñòü, çàáîëåâàåìîñòü, â òîì ÷èñëå ïàíäåìèþ îaeèðåíèÿ è äèàáåòà, ðåïðîäóêòèâíóþ ôóíêöèþ (êà÷åñòâî ìóaeñêîé ñïåðìû, õàðàêòåð ìåíñòðóàëüíîé ôóíêöèè, òåìïû ïîëîâîãî ñîçðåâàíèÿ), êîãíèòèâíóþ ôóíêöèþ. Äëÿ íåáîëüøèõ òðàäèöèîííûõ ñîîáùåñòâ, íàïðèìåð, àìåðèêàíñêèõ èíäåéöåâ, âûñîêèé óðîâåíü òåõíîãåííûõ çàãðÿçíåíèé ñòàâèò ïîä âîïðîñ ñàìî âûaeèâàíèå ïîïóëÿöèé [Schell et al, 2016].. ×åëîâå÷åñòâî ñíà-÷àëà ïðèñïîñàáëèâàåò áèîñôåðó äëÿ ñåáÿ â ðåçóëüòàòå ñâîåé êóëüòóðíîé aeèçíåäåÿòåëüíîñòè, íî çàòåì âûíóaeäåíî áèîëîãè÷åñêè ïðèñïîñàáëèâàòüñÿ ê èì aeå ñîçäàííîé èñêóññòâåííîé ñðåäå, ÷òî ïðè óìåðåííîì óðîâíå àíòðîïîãåííîãî ñòðåññà ìîaeåò íîñèòü õàðàêòåð íîðìàëüíîé àäàïòàöèè â ïðåäåëàõ íîðìû ðåàêöèè èëè â óñëîâèÿõ äèñòðåññà -ïàòîëîãè÷åñêèé õàðàêòåð. Ýòî öèêëè÷íîå èíòåðàêòèâíîå áèîêóëüòóðíîå âçàèìîäåéñòâèå Ëàððè Øåëë [Schell, 2014] íàçûâàåò çíàêîâûì äëÿ íà÷àëà òðåòüåãî òûñÿ÷åëåòèÿ.…”