Fish consumption (hair mercury) and nutritional status of Amazonian Amer-Indian children.
Fish are abundant and important dietary items for the Amer-Indians, and total hair-Hg (HHg) concentration is a reliable marker of fish consumption. We studied the impact of fish consumption (HHg) on the nutritional status of Indian children of Eastern Amazonia. Weight-for-height Z score (WHZ) was measured, and HHg was determined in 203 children younger than 10 years of age in three villages. There was significantly higher fish consumption in Kayabi children (16.55 microg Hg/g; SD, 11.44) than in children of the Munduruku villages of Missão-Cururu (4.76 microg Hg/g; SD, 2.09) and Kaburua (2.87 microg Hg/g; SD, 2.13). Anthropometric indices showed WHZ means of -0.27, -0.22, and 0.40, respectively, for Kayabi, Missão-Cururu and Kaburua villages. Despite a different pattern of fish-protein consumption between tribes, there was no significant correlation between WHZ and HHg concentrations (r2 = 0.0079; P < 0.2021). Dietary differences among Amazonian tribes can be traced and used in measuring health outcomes. Higher fish consumption, although important for Kayabis, was compensated by other protein sources by the Kaburua villagers.
Dórea
José G
JG
Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil. dorea@rudah.com.br
Barbosa
Antonio C
AC
Ferrari
Iris
I
De Souza
Jurandir R
JR
D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil / Q000208:ethnology; D002648:Child; D005399:Fishes; D005506:Food Contamination; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007199:Indians, South American; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis*; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population
D008628:Mercury