Signs of childhood physiological stresses in a South African human skeletal collection
Background: HarrisLines(HL)andLinearEnamelHypoplasia(LEH) are non-specific skeletal markers of health status. The aetiology of these markers has not yet been confirmed due to a lack of contem- porary clinical studies but is assumed to occur due to health insults associated with low socio-economic s...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Universitätsverlag Potsdam
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Human Biology and Public Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.human-biology-and-public-health.org/index.php/hbph/article/view/66 |
| _version_ | 1797230179003662336 |
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| author | Johanna Maria de Lange Amanda Alblas Monique Nel Chantelle Marais |
| author_facet | Johanna Maria de Lange Amanda Alblas Monique Nel Chantelle Marais |
| author_sort | Johanna Maria de Lange |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Background: HarrisLines(HL)andLinearEnamelHypoplasia(LEH) are non-specific skeletal markers of health status. The aetiology of these markers has not yet been confirmed due to a lack of contem- porary clinical studies but is assumed to occur due to health insults associated with low socio-economic status (SES). Most studies re- garding HL and LEH have been conducted on the archaeological re- mains of historic populations. This provides a problem when trying to determine the aetiology of the afore-mentioned defects as medical histories of those individuals being tested are unknown.
Objectives: This study aims to determine if there is an association be- tween LEH and HL in a contemporary South African skeletal popu- lation with mainly low social background individuals.
Sample and Methods The skull and x-rays of long bones of individuals (n=592) aged between 20–90 years who lived between 1900 – 1995 sampled from the Stellenbosch University Skeletal Repository, were assessed for presence of HL and LEH.
Results: The study found no significant association between LEH and HL, with 7.64% of those with HL also having LEH (p=0.512). There was also no significant association between HL and LEH in females (p=0.331), but a significant association in males (p=0.027). A significant association between LEH, HL and different age-at- death groups was found in the middle group (40–59 years-of-age-at- death; p=0.006), with the least significant association in the oldest age-at-death group (>60 years-of-age-at-death; p=0.418).
Conclusion: In this South African cohort, no clear association between LEH and HL could be established, indicating that the aetiology of these disease markings should still be investigated.
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| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T15:24:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-42874ef6642c464c87a58300088b2d45 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2748-9957 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T15:24:22Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Universitätsverlag Potsdam |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Human Biology and Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-42874ef6642c464c87a58300088b2d452024-04-02T07:02:45ZengUniversitätsverlag PotsdamHuman Biology and Public Health2748-99572023-12-01210.52905/hbph2023.2.66Signs of childhood physiological stresses in a South African human skeletal collectionJohanna Maria de Lange0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8313-7990Amanda Alblas1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0969-4163Monique Nel2Chantelle Marais3Division of Clinical Anatomy, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch UniversityDivision of Clinical Anatomy, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch UniversityFaculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South AfricaDivision of Clinical Anatomy, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, South Africa. Background: HarrisLines(HL)andLinearEnamelHypoplasia(LEH) are non-specific skeletal markers of health status. The aetiology of these markers has not yet been confirmed due to a lack of contem- porary clinical studies but is assumed to occur due to health insults associated with low socio-economic status (SES). Most studies re- garding HL and LEH have been conducted on the archaeological re- mains of historic populations. This provides a problem when trying to determine the aetiology of the afore-mentioned defects as medical histories of those individuals being tested are unknown. Objectives: This study aims to determine if there is an association be- tween LEH and HL in a contemporary South African skeletal popu- lation with mainly low social background individuals. Sample and Methods The skull and x-rays of long bones of individuals (n=592) aged between 20–90 years who lived between 1900 – 1995 sampled from the Stellenbosch University Skeletal Repository, were assessed for presence of HL and LEH. Results: The study found no significant association between LEH and HL, with 7.64% of those with HL also having LEH (p=0.512). There was also no significant association between HL and LEH in females (p=0.331), but a significant association in males (p=0.027). A significant association between LEH, HL and different age-at- death groups was found in the middle group (40–59 years-of-age-at- death; p=0.006), with the least significant association in the oldest age-at-death group (>60 years-of-age-at-death; p=0.418). Conclusion: In this South African cohort, no clear association between LEH and HL could be established, indicating that the aetiology of these disease markings should still be investigated. https://www.human-biology-and-public-health.org/index.php/hbph/article/view/66linear enamel hypoplasiaHarris LinesKirsten Skeletal Collectionchildhood physiological stress |
| spellingShingle | Johanna Maria de Lange Amanda Alblas Monique Nel Chantelle Marais Signs of childhood physiological stresses in a South African human skeletal collection Human Biology and Public Health linear enamel hypoplasia Harris Lines Kirsten Skeletal Collection childhood physiological stress |
| title | Signs of childhood physiological stresses in a South African human skeletal collection |
| title_full | Signs of childhood physiological stresses in a South African human skeletal collection |
| title_fullStr | Signs of childhood physiological stresses in a South African human skeletal collection |
| title_full_unstemmed | Signs of childhood physiological stresses in a South African human skeletal collection |
| title_short | Signs of childhood physiological stresses in a South African human skeletal collection |
| title_sort | signs of childhood physiological stresses in a south african human skeletal collection |
| topic | linear enamel hypoplasia Harris Lines Kirsten Skeletal Collection childhood physiological stress |
| url | https://www.human-biology-and-public-health.org/index.php/hbph/article/view/66 |
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