Intergenerational influences on the growth of Maya children: The effect of living conditions experienced by mothers and maternal grandmothers during their childhood

ObjectivesTo test the hypothesis that living conditions experienced by maternal grandmothers (F-1 generation) and mothers (F-2 generation) during their childhood are related to height and leg length (LL: height-sitting height) of their 6-to-8 year old children (F-3 generation). MethodsFrom September 2011 to June 2012 we obtained height and LL, and calculated z-score values of these measurements for 109 triads (F-1, F-2, F-3) who are Maya living in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. Multiple regression models were adjusted to examine the relation of anthropometric and intergenerational socioeconomic parameters of F-1 (house index and family size during childhood) and F-2 (paternal job loss during childhood) with the z-score values of height and LL of F-3. ResultsChildren's height and LL were positively associated with maternal height and LL. This association was relatively stronger in LL. Better categories of grand-maternal house index were significantly associated with higher values of height and LL in grandchildren. Grand-maternal family size was positively related with LL, but not with height. ConclusionsOur findings partially support the hypothesis that living conditions experienced by recent maternal ancestors (F-1 and F-2) during their growth period influence the growth of descendants (F-3). Results suggest that LL is more sensitive to intergenerational influences than is total height and that the transition from a traditional rural lifestyle to urban conditions results in new exposures for risk in human physical growth. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 27:494-500, 2015. (c) 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.