Biological variations associated with change in lifestyle among the pastoral and nomadic tribes of East Africa

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
A number of anthropometric, cardiovascular and biochemical variables were compared between tribal and non-tribal Samburu. Significant differences between the 2 groups were found for ponderal index, supra-iliac and mid-calf skinfold thicknesses, pulse rate and both systolic and diastolic blood pressures. Similar analyses were performed on samples from tribal and non-tribal Maasai, and significant differences were found for ponderal index, height, biceps skinfold thickness, pulse rate and systolic blood pressure. No significant differences were found in serum cholesterol or serum triglyceride for either the Samburu or the Maasai. Greater variability of the skinfold measurements was found in the non-tribal Samburu than in the tribal group; this effect was less marked in the Maasai. A principal component analysis and 3 discriminant function analyses were performed on the Samburu data. The most marked difference between the tribal and non-tribal groups was in their blood pressure levels, the non-tribal sample having significantly higher mean values than the tribal members. Possible causes for the observed differences between tribal and non-tribal groups were discussed. The findings were contrasted with those of an earlier study in which significant differences in cholesterol but not in blood pressure were found between samples of rural and urban Maasai. Blood pressure is apparently affected immediately by the change in environment, whereas the effect on cholesterol levels is a longer-term one.