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Guatemala: una revisión de las fuentes antropométricas disponibles

Author

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  • Luis Ríos

    (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid)

Abstract

Diverse data indicates that Guatemala presents one of the highest levels of poverty and inequality among the Latin-American countries. In the present work we review available anthropometric sources regarding child growth and adult stature from diverse historical periods. The study of these databases indicates the presence of an increase in mean height of approximately 3 cm along the 20th century, although the mean height of an important segment of the rural population remains below 160 cm for men and 150 cm for women, and the prevalence of child malnutrition ranges between 40 and 50%. The association between socioeconomic and anthropometric variability indicates that such a low stature is mainly explained by environmental rather than genetic factors. The estimation of stature from human skeletal remains from archaeological places allows us to obtain a long term perspective. It seems that the pre-Columbian populations that inhabited the Mesoamerican region presented similar or larger stature than the current rural indigenous Guatemalan population. More research is needed in order to test this observation.

Suggested Citation

  • Luis Ríos, 2009. "Guatemala: una revisión de las fuentes antropométricas disponibles," Historia Agraria. Revista de Agricultura e Historia Rural, Sociedad Española de Historia Agraria, issue 47, pages 217-238, april.
    • Handle: RePEc:seh:journl:y:2009:i:47:m:april:p:217-238
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Guatemala; Anthropometric History; child malnutrition; adult stature;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • I32 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Measurement and Analysis of Poverty
    • N96 - Economic History - - Regional and Urban History - - - Latin America; Caribbean
    • A12 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Relation of Economics to Other Disciplines

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