| A study of children's growth was carried out among the Pimbwe horticulturalists and Sukuma agropastoralists living in Tanzania's Rukwa valley. Primary objectives were to describe the nutritional status of children from each group and test hypotheses drawn from the fields of human behavioral ecology, nutrition, and demography regarding the causes and consequences of undernutrition. Specifically, the studies herein investigate the impact of seasonal fluctuations in work, food, and disease, variation in wealth, maternal marital status, ethnicity, and season of birth on children's nutritional status.; Results are that, overall, children in the study area experience high levels of nutritional stunting and underweight, and this is particularly true for Pimbwe children. Children's weights decline relative to the international reference until about five months and children from both groups experience seasonal declines in their relative weights. This decline was not explained by variation in household wealth. Season of birth was also related to children's current nutritional status, suggesting that the “hunger” season has a lasting impact on children's growth performance. Low socioeconomic status, a polygynously married mother, and few female kin were all associated with small, but statistically significant, deficits in children's nutritional status. However, much of the variation in children's weights and heights was set early in life. Together, the results suggest that poor feeding practices and constraints on the provision of care are particularly important determinants of nutritional status in this study area.; The findings from this study have implications for understanding ethnic and group-expansions. Moreover, they highlight the importance of child care and feeding practices on children's growth. The results will also be helpful for public health workers seeking to improve the health of women and children in the study area. |
