Papers on Anthropology

Spatial complexity of the cerebral cortex pial surface: quantitative assessment by two-dimensional fractal analysis of MRI brain scans

2024-05-30T09:31:05+00:00

The objective of the current study was to evaluate the spatial complexity of the cerebral pial surface through two-dimensional fractal analysis of the external linear contour of cerebral hemispheres and to investigate the correlation between the parameters determined using Euclidean and fractal geometries.

Magnetic resonance brain images were obtained from 100 individuals (44 males and 56 females, aged 18–86 years). Five magnetic resonance images were selected from the MRI dataset of each brain, comprising four tomographic sections in the coronal plane and one section in the axial plane. Fractal dimension values of the linear contour of the pial surface of cerebral hemispheres were measured using the two-dimensional box counting method. Morphometric parameters based on Euclidean geometry were also determined (perimeter, area and their derivative values).

In this study, the obtained fractal dimension values were shown to be sensitive to the tortuosity of the linear contour of cerebral hemispheres, which depends on the number of gyri and sulci and the complexity of their shape. Therefore, the fractal dimension can be considered as an objective quantitative parameter characterizing the spatial complexity of the pial surface of cerebral hemispheres. The present study revealed that the Euclidean geometry-based morphometric parameters most strongly associated with the fractal dimension of the cerebral linear contour were the perimeter and the parameters calculated from perimeter values, including the perimeter-to-area ratio, shape factor, and two-dimensional gyrification index. Fractal dimension values did not exhibit strong correlations with age.

The data obtained in this study can be utilized for anatomical and anthropological studies. Furthermore, they hold practical applications in clinical contexts for diagnostic purposes, such as the diagnosis of congenital cerebral malformations and postnatal cerebral maldevelopment.

Menstrual hygiene practices, social taboos and restrictions: a study among adolescent schoolgirls of Manipur

2024-05-30T09:38:36+00:00

Although menstruation is a normal phenomenon, many girls across the world are subjected to social taboos and misconceptions and are denied the right to control their menstruation in a dignified and healthy manner. This results in poor menstrual hygiene and a high risk for adverse physical, emotional, and mental health outcomes. Therefore, this study aims to assess the menstrual hygiene practices and social taboos among the adolescent girls of Manipur. A school-based, cross-sectional study was conducted among 215 adolescent girls aged 10–19 years from different ethnic groups of Manipur. The mean menarcheal age is 12.4 ± 1.2 years. The majority of the participants (95.35%) are aware of the essence of menstruation. However, only half of the studied population follow hygienic practices concerning the type of absorbent used and the frequency of changing absorbents. Approximately 40% of the respondents are associated with social taboos and restrictions, and these belong exclusively to the Meitei community. In general, the menstrual hygiene practices of the studied adolescent girls are poor. Many girls, irrespective of different ethnic groups, are associated with unhealthy menstrual-related cultural beliefs and taboos. Therefore, future intervention programmes should be introduced to maintain hygienic and safe menstruation practices. Moreover, awareness should be developed, imparting adequate knowledge on menstrual hygiene and waste management practices to prevent associated adverse health outcomes.

Analysis of serves of the Estonian national volleyball team in the final tournament of the European Championship 2021 and comparison with the final tournament of the European Championship 2019

2024-05-30T09:51:35+00:00

The aim of this study was to compare the tactics and proficiency of the Estonian men team’s games in the finals of the European Championships in 2019 and 2021. A total of ten games were analysed (five games of the 2019 tournament and five games of the 2021 tournament). The data were collected by video analysis and were entered into the Excel program where further analysis was performed. Additional statistical data processing was performed using the chi-squared test. A difference was revealed between the tournaments in using serve types. While in the in the tournament of 2021, more jump power serves were used compared to the tournament of 2019, in 2019 more jump float serves were used compared to the tournament of 2021. In terms of jump power serves, the team was more proficient in the tournament of 2021 and in jump float serves in the tournament of 2019. Although the use of rapidly falling power serves was the lowest in both tournaments, the results of the study showed that the use of rapidly falling power serves proved successful in both tournaments in terms of aces.

In the tournament of 2019, the highest number of serves were delivered from zone 9 and in the tournament of 2021 from zone 6. In 2021, the use of different zones was more varied than in 2019 when most serves were played from zone 9. In the 2021 tournament, the percentage of both jump power serves and jump float serves towards the middle zones was higher than in the tournament of 2019. The percentage of positive jump float serves delivered towards both middle and back zones was higher in the tournament of 2019 than in the tournament of 2021. The jump power serves performed in 2021 were more proficient than in the tournament of 2019. The percentage of points gained after positive serves was higher in the tournament of 2021 than in the tournament of 2019. In both tournaments, most serves were directed towards the players. Although the percentage of serves directed between the players and towards the outlines was low in both years, the study found that the serves directed to these parts of the court were more difficult for the opponents to receive than the serves directed towards the players.

The role of anthropometric variables in assessment of obesity among Tripuri women of North-East India

2024-05-30T09:57:14+00:00

Obesity is an etiologically complex and multifactorial phenotype, underpinned by genetic, environmental, socioeconomic and behavioural or psychological factors. Worldwide prevalence of obesity is reaching epidemic or pandemic proportions, which has resulted in an increased prevalence of obesity-related co-morbidities and financial burden that needs effective interventions. The prevalence of obesity varies significantly across the world, and several studies have been conducted in this regard in different regions on different age groups, but studies on the tribal female population of Northeast India are underrepresented, being mostly limited to schoolchildren. Under these circumstances, the present study was conducted to assess the prevalence of obesity among the tribal females of Tripura, Northeast India.

To achieve this purpose, the present study was conducted on 114 adult Tripuri females of Northeast India. Data were collected on anthropometric variables – height, weight, waist circumference (WC), and hip circumference (HC) – by using the standard technique. Then, from these anthropometric measurements, a number of indices – waist-stature ratio (WSR), body mass index (BMI), conicity index (CI) and waist-hip ratio (WHR) were calculated. The necessary descriptive and inferential statistics were calculated by using SPSS version 18.

The present study vindicated that only 22% women were overweight as per BMI, but 88% and 72% women were in the high-risk category on the basis of WHR and WSR respectively. Moreover, 86% of the females were biconic, which indicates higher prevalence of central obesity among the studied population.

Therefore, it can be concluded that anthropometric variables can be used as one of the efficient tools to assess obesity and health status of the Tripuri women. More in-depth studies using large samples and other different anthropometric indicators are required for better insightful approach towards ethnic group specific public health policy making.

Prevalence of self-reported lower limb overuse problems in highly trained track and field athletes during 12 weeks of pre-season training

2024-05-30T10:05:09+00:00

The aim of the study was to record the extent of lower limb overuse problems in highly trained track and field athletes during the 12 weeks of their preparation for national and international athletics championships. 21 highly trained track and field athletes (10 males: height 188.4 ± 6.8 cm; weight 79.9 ± 5.4 kg; BMI 22.5 ± 0.9; training hours per week 7.78 ± 2.37; 11 females: height 174.1 ± 7.9 cm; weight 61.7 ± 5.8 kg; BMI 20.4 ± 1.4; training hours per week 6.28 ± 2.76) from the national team volunteered to participate. The study was a prospective cohort study during which the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center Overuse Injury Questionnaire was distributed weekly to all athletes for 12 weeks from May 2015 to August 2015. The two most prevalent overuse problems reported in our study group were hamstring and lower back area problems. On average, 64% of athletes in the present study group suffered from an overuse problem to ankle, hamstring, groin, knee or low back at any given time. The results of the study show that lower limb overuse injuries are too frequent in track and field athletes, and many athletes still train and compete through these injuries. Therefore, it is very important for athletes’ long-term health to regularly monitor their health problems in order to start preventing them.

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) among young adult women: an anthropological insight

2024-05-30T10:11:54+00:00

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorders which affect women in a significant manner worldwide. India has witnessed an about 30% rise in PCOS cases in the last couple of years. PCOS has a strong association with many comorbidities with its long-term metabolic as well as other consequences. Thus, it has recently been recognized as a significant public health issue. This review paper is an attempt to reveal the prevalence, pathophysiology, knowledge and awareness of PCOS among the adolescents and young adult women of India.

An extensive search was performed using electronic search engines such as PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar (from 2004 to 2023) to find the relevant research papers on the prevalence, pathophysiology, knowledge, and awareness of PCOS among the adolescents and young adult women of India. The current review summarises and highlights the prevalence, pathophysiology, knowledge, and awareness of PCOS for early identification and prevention and consequent minimation of the steady upward trend of PCOS. The results of this review could identify high-risk populations and foster the implementation of preventive lifestyle measures. It also investigates the need for intervention programmes for PCOS and its associated comorbidities in different settings at an earlier stage and to improve the quality of health.