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Bioarchaeology can contribute to interdisciplinary research on the social organization of the Avar Empire (568 AD to around 800 AD) by providing information on the health, lifestyle and habitual activity patterns of Avar populations, thus offering an important, additional perspective to traditional archaeological methods focusing on material culture. The so-called horse riding syndrome refers to a combination of changes on the human skeleton, which may indicate that the individual in question practised horse riding as a habitual activity during his or her lifetime. The aim of this paper is to identify potential differences in habitual horse riding activity between different socioeconomic groups within the adult male population of the Avar cemetery of Wien 11-Csokorgasse, using a major criterion of the horse riding syndrome (namely the ovalization or vertical elongation of the acetabulum) and an indicator of social status in burials of Avar men (namely the depth of burial). The sample included only males (age group adult or older) with at least one completely preserved acetabulum (n = 38 for the left acetabulum, n = 40 for the right acetabulum). The ovalization of the acetabulum was determined using a basic measurement method, the Index of Ovalization of Acetabulum (IOA). The sample was divided into two groups according to depth of burial: The “high-status” group included the skeletal material of adult male individuals with a depth of burial of 1.00 m or more. The “low-status” group included the skeletal material of adult male individuals with a depth of burial less than 1.00 m. We observed highly significant differences regarding the ovalization of the acetabulum between “high-status” and “low-status” adult males. This may reflect considerable variation in lifestyle and/or habitual activity patterns between these two groups, which could suggest differences regarding the prevalence of habitual horse riding between “high-status” and “low-status” adult males. Hence, using a major criterion of the “horse riding syndrome” – the “ovalization” of the acetabulum – we may have identified a group of “high-status” Avar warriors, whose way of life appears to have differed from that of the “lower-status” male population buried in the Avar-period cemetery of Wien 11-Csokorgasse.

Background: Growth and finally body height are influenced by various intrinsic and extrinsic factors. During the last decades the well documented secular trend of increase in body height slowed down. Overweight and obesity rates increased worldwide from childhood onwards. An association between rising obesity rates and the slowdown of the secular trend in body height might be assumed. Aims: This study focuses on patterns of associations between childhood weight status, socioenvironmental factors, and adolescent body height. It is hypothesized that higher weight during childhood enhances developmental tempo and linear growth, and results in higher body height during adolescence. Sample and methods: In a longitudinal study, the body height, body weight, and Body mass index (BMI) of 1506 randomly selected Viennese children were documented at the age of six, ten, and fifteen years. Weight status according to sex and age and age-specific BMI percentiles were determined. The association between weight status and body height was analyzed. A history of migration and the socioenvironmental background, based on specific characteristics of the residential area, have been included in the analysis. Results: A marked positive association between weight status during childhood, male sex, socioenvironmental factor, the background of migration, and body height at the age of six and ten years could be documented. At the age of fifteen years, however, only male sex and BMI at age ten years were significantly positively associated with height. Conclusion: High weight or obesity during childhood enhances growth during childhood, but no significant associations between weight status and height were observable during adolescence.

Typical patterns of discriminative grandparental investment i.e. high investment provided by the maternal grandmother and low investment provided by the paternal grandfather, are mainly interpreted based on the "paternity uncertainty hypothesis". Accordingly, especially paternal grandfathers are confronted with a double risk of investing in genetically unrelated grandchildren. The present study focuses on the impact of phenotypic resemblance between parents and grandparents on grandparental investment. 94 female and 83 male participants aged 19 to 40 years (x = 27.4; SD = 5.8) were enrolled in the retrospective analysis. An online questionnaire, specifically developed for this study, was used for data collection. In line with predictions, the highest investment, contact frequency and best relationship were found for maternal grandmothers, while paternal grandfathers showed the lowest investment patterns. Phenotypic resemblance between parents and grandfathers enhanced grandfathers' investment significantly, but resemblance had no effect in the case of maternal grandmothers. We conclude that phenotypic similarities can be interpreted as indicators of genetic relatedness and therefore increase grandparental investment among those grandparents, who are confronted with paternity uncertainty, i.e. paternal grandmother and maternal as well as paternal grandfather.

Because self-report hand preference measures are limited to investigating cognitive aspects of manual laterality, valid, easy-to-administer and economic behavioural methods are needed for capturing the motoric component of handedness. Therefore, this study introduces the Handedness Index Practical Task (HI20) and tests it in a sample of 206 students (Mage = 23.79 years, SDage = 3.01 years), half of whom were self-specified left-handers. After confirming good reliabilities at the subscale and total scale levels, k-means cluster analysis allowed an empirically based partitioning of test subjects into left- (n = 72), mixed- (n = 23) and right-handers (n = 111). To validate this categorization and the HI20 index, data were compared with the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory (EHI), EHI-short, HI22 and hand grip strength. The congruency between the HI20 clusters and alternative categorizations ranged from 95.6% to 84.0%, while the clusters explained large portions of variance in grip strength differences. The HI20 sub- and total scores showed strong correlations with other measures of lateral preference. Altogether, the freely available HI20 emerges as a reliable and valid alternative for behavioural handedness assessment, whose power lies in explaining differential hand use patterns and enabling fine-grained examinations of handedness.

Using population-based data on height in Austria from birth cohort 1951 to 2002, we aim to evaluate the secular trends in height and developmental tempo among Austrian young men.Data were obtained from the Austrian conscription medical examination. We included 1 205 112 conscripts (18-20 years) who were born between 1951 and 2002 and 853 645 conscripts (17-19 years) who were born between 1961 and 2002. Height was measured during the medical examination and was used to evaluate the secular trends of mean height over time. Furthermore, the mean difference in height between conscripts of 17- and 18 years old were compared across birth cohorts.The mean height of conscripts aged 17 years increased by 2.2 cm (p .0001) in between 1961 and 2002. The mean height of conscripts aged 18 years increased by 4.3 cm (p .0001) between 1951 and 2002. However, the increase in mean height has slowed down since the 1970 s. The difference in mean height between 17 and 18 years old widened from about 0.1 cm in 1961 to 0.3 cm around 1970 and then steadily narrowed again to 0.1 cm at the end of the study period.The increasing trend in height slows at the end of the 20th century, the developmental tempo at the population level, however, continued to increase. The difference in mean height between 17 and 18 years old narrowed, which may indicate that young men reached their final height earlier.

Background The marked spatial differences in the prevalence of childhood overweight/obesity rates within cities are mainly due to environmental characteristics of individual intracity areas. This is the first analysis of spatial differences in the prevalence of overweight/obesity among children in the Austrian capital Vienna. Subjects and methods In the medical-record-based study, the weight status of 1611 Viennese school children of lower socioeconomic backgrounds at the ages of six, ten, and 15 years from 46 randomly selected public secondary schools were included. Medical data have been obtained at schools by trained members of the Medical school authority. Besides effects of sex and background of migration, associations between weight status and the natural as well as social environments of the residential and school districts were analyzed. Since the 23 political districts of Vienna differ markedly in socioeconomic and environmental characteristics, a comparison between the districts was carried out. Results Especially high overweight and obesity rates were found for the socially disadvantaged areas of the 10th, 12th, and 15th political district of Vienna. Children living and attending schools in better-off districts had lower rates of overweight and obesity, despite their low social status. The most important factors influencing overweight and obesity were parameters of the social environment and characteristics of the residential area of the children. Significant associations between the body mass index and unemployment rates, average monthly income, the educational level of the district population, the proportion of migrants in the district, and sociodemographic cluster areas could be observed. This was equally true for girls and boys, as well as children with or without a migrant background. Conclusion In general, socially disadvantaged, inner-city areas showed extremely high prevalence rates of obesity.

Background Primary headache disorders such as migraine and tension-type headaches represent an important public health problem. Besides genetic factors, environmental parameters, and, in particular, recent lifestyle patterns may contribute to the increasing prevalence of headache disorders. Sample and methods 173 women, between the ages of 18 and 65 years, were enrolled in the present study. The present study focuses on the association between recent lifestyle patterns such as physical activity, time spent outdoors, time spent in front of TV or computer screens, nicotine consumption, weight status as well as chronic stress exposure, and the duration and intensity of migraine and tension-type headaches (TTHs) in a female sample from Austria. An extensive online questionnaire, consisting of 72 questions regarding sociodemographic background, headache anamnesis, lifestyle factors, such as sleep, and physical activity patterns, was distributed via online platforms by means of a snowball sampling system. Additionally, chronic stress was measured using the Trier Inventory for Chronic Stress. Results Participants suffering from migraine were significantly older than women suffering from tension-type headaches (TTHs) and migraine. Age was significantly associated with migraine attack frequency. Women suffering from tension-type headaches (TTH) intensity showed significant associations with physical exercise, sleep, and chronic stress. Fewer hours of exercise and higher stress were connected with higher pain intensity. Migraine frequency, in contrast, correlated with daily hours spent in front of computer screen, while stress and physical exercise did not show associations with migraines. Conclusion The study showed that lifestyle factors may be associated with and may have effects on primary headache disorders, especially tension-type headaches.

Seventeen scientists met for this year’s conference on Auxology held at Krobielowice castle, Poland, to discuss growth and public health concerns. The regulation of growth is complex and besides metabolic and endocrine components including hypothalamic releasing factors, growth hormone and multiple downstream effectors, comprises the full spectrum of the psychosocial, economic and emotional environment including signaling dominance, competence, prestige, or subordination and indulgence, all of this being sensitive to urban or rural lifestyle, the political climate and with marked plasticity throughout history. New statistical techniques (St. Nicolas House Analysis) are presented for analyzing anthropometric variables for public health concerns. The impact of spatial differences on developmental tempo, growth in height, and the prevalence of childhood obesity are discussed as well as the impact of social mobility on obesity, and the benefits of the biopsychosocial status when getting along with socio-economic disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ancient DNA research in the past decade has revealed that European population structure changed dramatically in the prehistoric period (14,000-3,000 years before present, YBP), reflecting the widespread introduction of Neolithic farmer and Bronze Age Steppe ancestries. However, little is known about how population structure changed in the historical period onward (3,000 YBP - present). To address this, we collected whole genomes from 204 individuals from Europe and the Mediterranean, many of which are the first historical period genomes from their region (e.g. Armenia, France). We found that most regions show remarkable inter-individual heterogeneity. Around 8% of historical individuals carry ancestry uncommon in the region where they were sampled, some indicating cross-Mediterranean contacts. Despite this high level of mobility, overall population structure across western Eurasia is relatively stable through the historical period up to the present, mirroring the geographic map. We show that, under standard population genetics models with local panmixia, the observed level of dispersal would lead to a collapse of population structure. Persistent population structure thus suggests a lower effective migration rate than indicated by the observed dispersal. We hypothesize that this phenomenon can be explained by extensive transient dispersal arising from drastically improved transportation networks and the Roman Empire’s mobilization of people for trade, labor, and military. This work highlights the utility of ancient DNA in elucidating finer scale human population dynamics in recent history.

The increasing obesity rates among women of reproductive age create a major obstetrical problem as obesity during pregnancy is associated with many complications, such as a higher rate of caesarean sections. This medical record-based study investigates the effects of maternal prepregnancy obesity on newborn parameters, birth mode, and miscarriage rate. The data of 15,404 singleton births that had taken place between 2009 and 2019 at the public Danube Hospital in Vienna were enrolled in the study. Newborn parameters are birth weight, birth length, head circumference, APGAR scores, as well as pH values of the arterial and venous umbilical cord blood. In addition, maternal age, height, body weight at the beginning and the end of pregnancy, and prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) (kg/m2) have been documented. The gestational week of birth, the mode of delivery, as well as the number of previous pregnancies and births, are included in the analyses. Birth length, birth weight, and head circumference of the newborn increase with increasing maternal BMI. Furthermore, with increasing maternal weight class, there tends to be a decrease in the pH value of the umbilical cord blood. Additionally, obese women have a history of more miscarriages, a higher rate of preterm birth, and a higher rate of emergency caesarean section than their normal-weight counterparts. Consequently, maternal obesity before and during pregnancy has far-reaching consequences for the mother, the child, and thus for the health care system.

The ratio of index finger to ring finger length (2D:4D) is a sexually dimorphic feature and widely used as an indicator of prenatal androgen-estrogen exposure. Several studies have investigated the relationship between the 2D:4D ratio and the onset of the first menstrual period (menarche) in women. The present study tested the association patterns between 2D:4D ratio and age at menarche. Furthermore, the impact of methods of measuring finger lengths was considered. Two samples were used to conduct the study. One sample consisted of 110 women who self-measured their finger lengths. The finger length measurements in the second sample (88 women) were taken from one trained observer using the caliper-based technique. Age at menarche was determined using a retrospective method. Women from the first sample reported an average age for the onset of the first menstrual bleeding at 12.9 (SD = 1.4) years of age. There was no significant association between the left and right 2D:4D ratio and the age at menarche. The second sample showed a mean age at menarche at 12.8 (SD = 1.3) years of age. Here, the right hand 2D:4D ratio and age at menarche were significantly correlated (p

Human birth represents a critical and life-threatening event in the life of mother and child and is therefore of special importance for anthropological as well as public health research.

The abstract is available here: https://uscholar.univie.ac.at/o:1632202

In 2007, for the first time worldwide, more people lived in urban conurbations than in rural settlement structures. This advancing urbanization has dramatically altered the living situation, the use of space, as well as human behavior along with the health situation and disease burden. This process began in Europe as early as the 19th century, while developing and emerging countries in particular are currently exposed to increasing urbanization. The burden of disease is clearly altered by living in a confined space, by environmental pollution in urban areas, the impossibility of producing food oneself, and being lost in an anonymous crowd. While city air made people “free” in medieval times, it often makes them “sick” today. Obesogenic environments represent a special problem in urban areas. A lack of physical activity, adverse dietary habits, and stressful and unsafe neighborhoods increase the risk of becoming overweight and obese in urban centers. Recently, modernization in rural areas and an adaptation to urban habits there increase the obesity rates in rural areas in high-income as well as low- and middle-income countries, too. Within cities, marked spatial differences in the prevalence of overweight and obesity occur. In Vienna, Austria, overweight and obesity rates during childhood and adolescence differ markedly between the individual Viennese districts. Highest overweight and obesity rates occur in districts characterized by a low socioeconomic status.

Twenty-one scientists met for this year’s virtual conference on Auxology held at the University Potsdam, Germany, to discuss child and adolescent growth during times of fear and emotional stress. Growth within the broad range of normal for age and sex is considered a sign of good general health whereas fear and emotional stress can lead to growth faltering. Stunting is a sign of social disadvantage and poor parental education. Adverse childhood experiences affect child development, particularly in families with low parental education and low socioeconomic status. Negative effects were also shown in Indian children exposed prenatally and in early postnatal life to the cyclone Aila in 2009. Distrust, fears and fake news regarding the current Corona pandemic received particular attention though the effects generally appeared weak. Mean birth weight was higher; rates of low, very and extremely low birth weight were lower. Other topics discussed by the participants, were the influences of economic crises on birth weight, the measurement of self-confidence and its impact on growth, the associations between obesity, peer relationship, and behavior among Turkish adolescents, height trends in Indonesia, physiological neonatal weight loss, methods for assessing biological maturation in sportsmen, and a new method for skeletal age determination. The participants also discussed the association between acute myocardial infarction and somatotype in Estonia, rural-urban growth differences in Mongolian children, socio-environmental conditions and sexual dimorphism, biological mortality bias, and new statistical techniques for describing inhomogeneity in the association of bivariate variables, and for detecting and visualizing extensive interactions among variables.

Twenty-three scientists met at Krobielowice, Poland to discuss the role of growth, nutrition and economy on body size. Contrasting prevailing concepts, re-analyses of studies in Indonesian and Guatemalan school children with high prevalence of stunting failed to provide evidence for an association between nutritional status and body height. Direct effects of parental education on growth that were not transmitted via nutrition were shown in Indian datasets using network analysis and novel statistical methods (St. Nicolas House Analysis) that translate correlation matrices into network graphs. Data on Polish children suggest significant impact of socioeconomic sensitivity on child growth, with no effect of maternal money satisfaction. Height and maturation tempo affect the position of a child among its peers. Correlations also exist between mood disorders and height. Secular changes in height and weight varied across decades independent of population size. Historic and recent Russian data showed that height of persons whose fathers performed manual work were on average four cm shorter than persons whose fathers were high-degree specialists. Body height, menarcheal age, and body proportions are sensitive to socioeconomic variables. Additional topics included delayed motherhood and its associations with newborn size; geographic and socioeconomic indicators related to low birth weight, prematurity and stillbirth rate; data on anthropometric history of Brazil, 1850-1950; the impact of central nervous system stimulants on the growth of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; and pituitary development and growth hormone secretion. Final discussions debated on reverse causality interfering between social position, and adolescent growth and developmental tempo., Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo

Background Nicotine consumption during pregnancy and advanced maternal age are well known independent risk factors for poor pregnancy outcome and therefore serious public health problems. Objectives Considering the ongoing trend of delaying childbirth in our society, this study investigates potential additive effects of nicotine consumption during pregnancy and advanced maternal age on foetal growth. Sample and Methods In a medical record-based study, we analysed the impact of maternal age and smoking behaviour before and during pregnancy on newborn size among 4142 singleton births that took place in Vienna, Austria between 1990 and 1995. Results Birth weight (H=82.176, p35 year olds, with the respective values for birth length being 0.6 cm to 0.7cm, for head circumference from 0.3 cm to 0.6 cm. Conclusion Increasing maternal age amplified the negative effects of smoking during pregnancy on newborn parameters. Our findings identify older smoking mothers as a high-risk group which should be of special interest for public health systems.

Asymmetry of bilateral anatomical structures is widely found in nature. Fluctuating asymmetry, i.e. mostly tiny random deviations from perfect symmetry in bilateral structures, is mainly interpreted within the framework of developmental instability. This interpretation is mainly due to the fact, that higher fluctuating asymmetry is often found in association with various pathological conditions but also from increased stress during somatic development. Directional asymmetry, in contrast, describes a distinct pattern of bilateral variation in a group of individuals, characterized by the tendency to find the larger side mainly at the same side for all individuals. This kind of asymmetry is mostly caused by behavioral lateralization. Somatic stress during development affect not only asymmetry patterns, it is has also an adverse effect on somatic growth. Therefore, the present study tested the hypothesis, that increased asymmetry is associated with decreased body height as well as postcranial length and robustness dimensions. The association patterns between fluctuating as well as directional asymmetry and parameters of somatic growth and robustness are analyzed among 236 !Kung San and 248 Kavango people of Namibia between the ages of 18 and 65 years. Fluctuating asymmetry was determined by ear length and ear breadth. Directional asymmetry was determined by hand length and hand breadth dimensions. Fluctuating as well as directional asymmetry correlated significantly negatively with body height and length dimensions, the correlations however, were weak. The results are interpreted as a corroboration of the theory that developmental stress may increase fluctuating asymmetry but on the other hand may decrease body size.

The theory behind the formation and manifestation of pelvic scars, sometimes called “scars of parturition”, and particularly their potential use in determining parity history has been a debated issue among anthropologists for nearly 50 years. To date, the association between parity and scar formation still remains unclear. The present study tests the effects of sex, age, body size and pelvic dimensions on the morphological and metric features of dorsal pits, pubic tubercle and preauricular sulcus. 296 skeletons (167 males, 129 females) from historical samples in Lithuania were examined. Beyond assessing the above traits of these pelvic scars, we determined sex, age at death and pelvis dimensions. Moreover, we reconstructed body height and body mass. A marked sexual dimorphism was recorded. Scar formation was significantly more common among females. With increasing age, scar formation increased or remain unchanged. Pelvic dimensions, body height and body mass showed a weak association with pelvic scars. Sex seems to be independently associated with scar formation. Our results suggest that although sex plays a dominant role in scar formation, caution should be exercised in interpreting scars as being due solely to parity alone. The term “scars of parturition” should be avoided.

Natural sciences are still considered as typical male fields, while humanities are interpreted as typical female topics. Economic, social but also biological factors are discussed to influence the choice of study field. In the present study, the impact of prenatal sex hormone exposure - estimated by 2D:4D ratio - on the choice of study field was analyzed. Two hundred Viennese students between the ages 18 and 28 years were enrolled. Lengths of the index finger and the ring finger were measured directly from the hand of the participants. 2D:4D ratios were calculated. Male and female students differed significantly in 2D:4D ratio. As expected, female students showed significantly higher 2D:4D ratios than their male counterparts (p < 0.001). Male scientists and male humanists differed significantly in 2D:4D ratio. The 2D:4D of male humanists was significantly higher than that of scientists (p = 0.037). Female scientists and female humanists however, did not differ significantly in 2D:4D ratio. Both showed a typical female 2D:4D ratio. This was also true of male humanists. Consequently low prenatal androgen exposure may be associated with the choice of humanities among male students.

The association patterns between maternal age and foetal growth parameters as well as newborn size were analysed using a dataset of 4737 singleton term births taking place at the Viennese Danube hospital. Foetal growth patterns were reconstructed by the results of three ultrasound examinations carried out at the 11th/12th, 20th/21th and 32th/33thweek of gestation. In detail, crown-rump length, biparietal diameter, fronto-occipital diameter, head circumference, abdominal transverse diameter, abdominal anterior-posterior diameter, abdominal circumference, and femur length were determined. Birth weight, birth length and head circumference were measured immediately after birth. Young teenage mothers (≤15 years), older adolescent mothers (16-19 years), mothers of optimal age range (20-35 years) and mothers of advanced age (>35 years) differed significantly in body height, pre-pregnancy weight status and gestational weight gain. Surprisingly, the foetuses of young adolescent mothers were the largest ones during first trimester. During the second and third trimester however, the foetuses of mothers of optimal age range (20-35 years) and mothers older than 35 years showed larger biometric dimensions than adolescent mothers. According to multiple regression analyses, maternal age was significantly related to Foetal head size (ß =-0.04; 95% CI = -0,08 – 0.01; p=0.034) and abdominal dimensions (ß= 0.03; 95% CI = 0.01-0.05; p=0,011) during the second trimester and to birthweight (ß= -0.03; 95% CI= -4.40 – 0.04; p=0.050). The associations however, are quite weak and the statistical significance is maybe due to the large sample size. At the time of birth, offspring of mothers of optimal age range (20 to 35 years) is significantly larger than that of adolescent mothers and mothers of advanced age. Mothers of advanced age showed the significantly highest (p=

The coexistence of underweight and obesity is commonly called the double burden of malnutrition, a phenomenon which can be found in most countries worldwide. During pregnancy maternal underweight as well as obesity have a profound impact on fetal growth patterns and consequently pregnancy outcome. In the present study the effects of maternal underweight as well as obesity on fetal growth and consequently newborn size were tested in a sample of 9214 term births which took place at Vienna Austria. It could be shown that maternal prepregnancy weight status was significantly positively associated with maternal age. Furthermore maternal prepregnancy weight status has a marked influence on fetal growth. With increasing maternal weight status birth weight, birth length, newborn head dimensions and acromial circumference increased significantly. Maternal obesity enhances fetal growth and increases the risk of giving birth to a large for gestational age offspring. In contrast underweight increases the risk of giving birth to a small for gestational age offspring. Additionally morbid obesity was positively associated with risk of caesarean section.

Obesity and type II diabetes belong to the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century. Initially both diseases were typical of affluent societies. Currently both conditions however are increasingly found in low and middle income countries. In future obesity and diabetes are expected to reach epidemic proportions and affect developing countries to a greater extent than developed ones. A globalization of obesity and diabetes is observable. Recently prevalence rates increased, especially in Asia, the Near and Middle East, the Western Pacific region and even in Sub-Saharan Africa. Evolutionary Anthropology tries to understand the evolutionary mechanisms promoting rising obesity and diabetes type II rates. Homo sapiens evolved in an environment quite different from our recent one. Profound changes in physical activity patterns and nutritional habits during the last 10,000 years and increasingly during the last 200 years increased the risk of obesity and diabetes type II. Consequently our recent environment is called “obesogenic”. This mismatch has been recently observable among societies experiencing rapid cultural changes characterized by Westernization and modernization. This review focuses on obesity and type II diabetes from the viewpoint of evolutionary anthropology.

SUMMARY The aim of this pilot study is to test a new approach to handedness assessment based on the concept of the leading hand. A well-established graphomotor performance test of handedness (H-D-T) and a new test according on the concept of the leading hand were undertaken by 41 Viennese schoolchildren between 6 and 8 years of age. The new test is based on in vivo observations of bimanual activities. In detail the test battery consisted of 8 fine motor leading hand items. Participants had to open and close four small objects (one tube, three small bottles) in order to observe twisting movements and four small objects (2 matchboxes, 2 small brushes) in order to observe back-and-forth movements. It turned out that the leading hand does not correlate with the hand dominance in a graphomotor test to the degree that the handedness in unimanual items has been found to do and that right leading hand scores in bimanual items are encountered significantly less often than right hand scores in a graphomotor test. The findings of the present study suggest that tests of the leading hand in vivo may contribute to a higher validity of the assessment of handedness in examinations of the lateralization of higher cortical functions.

Objectives Intrauterine environmental conditions may affect the number of primordial follicles and in this way the timing of menopause. The aim of the present study was to investigate association patterns between right hand digit ratio, that is, 2D:4D ‐ as an indicator of prenatal androgen and estrogen exposure, and age at menopause. Methods One hundred sixty‐nine women, who had experienced natural menopause, were enrolled in the study. Length of second and fourth finger were measured directly from the palmar side and digit ratios of both hands were calculated. For further analyses the digit ratio of the right hand was used only. Additionally, smoking habits, body weight and body height, body mass index and the number of children were determined. Multiple regression analyses were used to test association patterns between digit ratio and age at menopause, body height, BMI, nicotine consumption as well as number of births and age at menopause. Results Age at menopause correlated significantly positively with the digit ratio. A more feminine digit ratio is associated with a higher age at menopause, while a low digit ratio, interpreted as a hint of a higher androgen exposure during prenatal phase was associated with a lower age at menopause. Conclusions Low digit ratio is associated with an earlier onset of natural menopause.

Caesarean section (CS) rates are increasing in many parts of the world, recently reaching about 20% worldwide. The postmodern lifestyle characteristics, obesity and delayed childbirth, have been put forward as the main reasons for high CS rates. The present study tests the association patterns between lifestyle parameters and delivery mode on a data set of 3786 births in Vienna between 2005 and 2013. The focus is exclusively on singleton term births. As well as maternal age, prepregnancy weight status, maternal body height and gestational weight gain, newborn size (birth weight, birth length, and head circumference), Apgar scores and child presentation were recorded. Planned as well as emergency CS rates increased significantly (p &lt, 0.0001) with increasing maternal age and decreasing maternal body height. Emergency CS rates, however, increased significantly with increasing maternal prepregnancy weight status and gestational weight gain. An especially high risk of emergency CS occurred among four groups of mothers: those older than 40 years (OR = 2.68, 95% CI 1.87&ndash, 3.86), those who were obese (OR = 1.44, 95% 1.15&ndash, 1.81), those experiencing a gestational weight gain above 15 kg (OR = 1.32, 95% CI 1.13&ndash, 1.54), and those shorter than 160 cm (OR = 1.216, 95% CI 1.02&ndash, 1.45). Emergency CS rates were significantly higher among low-weight newborns (&lt, 2500 g) and macrosome newborns (&gt, 4000 g) than among normal-weight newborns. Furthermore, breech presentation was associated with an increased risk of caesarean delivery (OR 6.97, 95% CI 6.09&ndash, 7.96). Logistic regression analyses reveal that maternal age, maternal body height, prepregnancy weight status, gestational weight gain, birth weight, newborn head circumference and child presentation show an independent, highly significant association with caesarean delivery. We conclude that maternal and newborn characteristics typical of recent lifestyle patterns, such as advanced maternal age, obesity, increased gestational weight gain and increased newborn size, are highly significantly associated with increased emergency CS rates. Moreover, maternal shortness and breech presentation are risk factors for emergency CS.

This retrospective study analyses sex differences in foetal biometry from the 1st trimester onwards, and sexual dimorphism in newborn size of 4260 singleton term births taking place at the Viennese Danube hospital between 2005 and 2013. Crown-rump length was determined at the 11th to 12th week, biparietal diameter, fronto-occipital diameter, head circumference, abdominal transverse diameter, abdominal anterior-posterior diameter, abdominal circumference and femur length were determined at the 20th or 21st gestational week and at the 32nd or 33rd week of gestation. Immediately after birth, birthweight, birth length and head circumference were taken, the Apgar scores 1, 5 and 10 minutes after birth were determined. Significant sex differences were found from the first trimester onwards. With exception of femur length, male foetuses exhibited always the significantly larger dimensions. At the time of birth, male newborns were significantly larger and heavier than their female counterparts. Sex had an...

Differential grandparental investment is mainly explained as a result of paternity uncertainty. Phenotypic resemblance may be interpreted as an indicator of genetically relatedness. Consequently the present study focused on the impact of phenotypic resemblance on grandparental investment, i.e. solicitude, contact frequency and quality of relationship. 213 adults persons between the age 19 and 32 years (x = 25.5; SD = 3.4) were enrolled in the study. Data concerning grandparental investment during childhood were collected retrospectively using a 30 item questionnaire. Grandparental investment patterns differed significantly according grandparent category. In detail maternal grandmothers showed the highest contact frequency and the highest solicitude while - as to be expected - the paternal grandfather exhibited the lowest degree of investment. Grandparental investment was independent of grandparent category mainly influenced by residential distance. Phenotypic resemblance had an impact on grandparental investment independent of residential distance. This was first of all true of paternal grandfathers. An impact of phenotypic resemblance on grandparental investment patters can be assumed.

Twenty-two scientists met at Krobielowice, Poland, to discuss the impact of the social environment, spatial proximity, migration, poverty, but also psychological factors such as body perception and satisfaction, and social stressors such as elite sports, and teenage pregnancies, on child and adolescent growth. The data analysis included linear mixed effects models with different random effects, Monte Carlo analyses, and network simulations. The work stressed the importance of the peer group, but also included historic material, some considerations about body proportions, and growth in chronic liver, and congenital heart disease.

Studies of human social perception become more persuasive when the behavior of raters can be separated from the variability of the stimuli they are rating. We prototype such a rigorous analysis for a set of five social ratings of faces varying by body fat percentage (BFP). 274 raters of both sexes in three age groups (adolescent, young adult, senior) rated five morphs of the same averaged facial image warped to the positions of 72 landmarks and semilandmarks predicted by linear regression on BFP at five different levels (the average, ±2 SD, ±5 SD). Each subject rated all five morphs for maturity, dominance, masculinity, attractiveness, and health. The patterns of dependence of ratings on the BFP calibration differ for the different ratings, but not substantially across the six groups of raters. This has implications for theories of social perception, specifically, the relevance of individual rater scale anchoring. The method is also highly relevant for other studies on how biological facial variation affects ratings.

Over the last century life expectancy has increased dramatically nearly all over the world. This dramatic absolute and relative increase of the old aged people component of the population has influenced not only population structure but also has dramatic implications for the individuals and public health services. The aim of the present pilot study was to examine the impact of physical well-being assessed by hand grip strength and social factors estimated by social contact frequency on health-related quality of life among 22 men and 41 women ranging in age between 60 and 94 years. Physical well-being was estimated by hand grip strength, data concerning subjective wellbeing and health related quality of life were collected by personal interviews based on the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaires. Number of offspring and intergenerational contacts were not related significantly to health-related quality of life, while social contacts with non-relatives and hand grip strength in contrast had a significant positive impact on health related quality of life among old aged men and women. Physical well-being and in particular muscle strength—estimated by grip strength—may increase health-related quality of life and is therefore an important source for well-being during old age. Grip strength may be used as an indicator of health-related quality of life.

Fluctuating asymmetry is mainly interpreted as an indicator of developmental instability, while directional asymmetry of the upper limbs is associated with handedness. The association patterns between adult androgen levels and fluctuating as well directional asymmetry patterns are still unclear. In the present study, the association between adult androgen levels, body size and directional as well as fluctuating asymmetry pattern was tested among !Kung San and Kavango males from northern Namibia. Serum concentrations of testosterone (Tser) and 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) as well as salivary testosterone (Tsal) concentrations were obtained from 114 !Kung San and 136 Kavango men aged 18–40 years. Fluctuating and directional asymmetry were determined from eight paired traits. Signed and unsigned asymmetry, composite fluctuating and directional asymmetry were calculated. !Kung San males surpassed their Kavango counterparts in the directional asymmetry but also in composite directional asymmetry (CDA) significantly. Among !Kung San males, DHT correlated significantly negatively with parameters of fluctuating asymmetry as well as with parameters of directional asymmetry. Free testosterone of the saliva correlated significantly negatively with asymmetry of hand length. Among Kavango males, DHT is negatively associated with foot breadth asymmetry, but positively associated with wrist asymmetry. Although the correlations between asymmetry patterns and androgen levels are weak, it can be concluded that among !Kung San males adult androgen levels are negatively associated with a high quality phenotype.

Objective: Association patterns between body composition, fat distribution and hormonal levels were examined in lean and obese women suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Methods: 10 lean and 10 overweight women aging between 18 and 30 years (x=24.7yrs Sd=3.3) suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome were enrolled in the present study. Weight status was classified according to the body mass index categories of the World Health Organization. Body composition was determined by DEXA measurements, fat distribution patterns were quantified by the fat distribution index. Serum levels of estradiol, LH, FSH, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA-S, androstendione, SHBG, TSH, thyroxin, and growth hormone were determined. Additional hormone stimulation tests were performed. Results: Lean and overweight PCO patients differed highly significantly in all body composition parameters and in fat distribution. Overweight PCOS patients exhibited a significantly higher amount of body fat, especially in the upper body region. Furthermore among overweight PCOS patients a centralized or android fat patterning prevails. The majority of lean PCOS patients exhibited an android or intermediate fat distribution; however 30% of the lean women showed a gynoid fat patterning. Overweight PCOS Patients showed significantly higher androgen levels than their lean counterparts. Body fat correlated significantly positively with thyroxin levels, but significantly negatively with growth hormone levels and SHBG levels. Testosterone correlated only insignificantly positively with the amount of body fat and android fat patterning. Conclusion: Among lean as well as overweight PCOS patients a centralized fat patterning prevails. Hormonal levels are significantly associated with body composition parameters.

Background: All over the world we are confronted with an absolute and relative increase of the portion of elderly people. In order to develop strategies to keep old aged people healthy and as long as possible independent, analyses of factors influencing health related quality of life (HRQL) during old age are necessary. The aim of this review was the presentation of the results projects focusing on the impact of social contacts and physical activity on HRQL carried out in Austria Methods: The standardized WHOQOL BREF and the Geriatric depression scale was used to estimate HRQL and prevalence of geriatric depression in Austrian elderly. Physical fitness was estimated by hand grip strength, Sarcopenia and bone loss were determined by DEXA measurements. Results: A higher number of offspring, but first of all a higher face to face contact frequency increased HRQL and reduces geriatric depression. Sarcopenia and reduced bone density which might increase the risk of frailty syndrome were significantly interrelated. Conclusions: The ongoing change of life circumstances increases psychosocial problems such as loneliness and depression among old people who no longer live embedded in their families. Childlessness and reduced contact frequency have adverse consequences for health related quality of life during old age. This is also true of reduced physical activity in daily life, which increases the risk of sarcopenia and osteoporosis and may be invalidity during old age.

An appropriate gestational weight gain is an essential factor of female reproductive success because gestational weight gain influences newborn size but also maternal and infant morbidity and mortality. This paper aims to analyze the impact of maternal somatic factors, first of all maternal stature height, on gestational weight gain. Additionally the effect of gestational weight gain and other maternal somatic factors on newborn size was tested. In the present study the data of 12,661 term birth which have taken place in Vienna, Austria were analyzed. Maternal and newborn somatometric features such as prepregnancy weight status, maternal stature height, birth weight, birth length and head circumference were included. Nearly 65% of the women gained appropriate weight during pregnancy. About 20% showed an excessive, less than 15% an inappropriate gestational weight gain. Gestational weight gain was influenced significantly by prepregnancy weight status, maternal stature height, maternal age, but also nicotine consumption during pregnancy. A significant association between gestational weight gain and newborn somatometrics could be stated. It could be shown that gestational weight gain is influenced by several maternal somatic but also behavioral factors. Newborn size is associated with gestational weight gain.

Teenage pregnancies are still listed among the most important public health problems of the 21st century, although low maternal age may be a marker for social rather than biological or medical disadvantage. In the present study 51 pregnant Austrian girls ageing between 13 and 18 years (x = 16.3 yrs; +/- 1.3) who decided to give birth were enrolled. All girls were interviewed based on a structured questionnaire furthermore data from the mother-child pass port were included in the analysis. 28 girls gave birth shortly before the interview took place. Complications during pregnancy and birth were seldom and no adverse birth outcome was observed. The majority of participants received optimal medical treatment and sufficient social support from relatives and school but also from public and private institutions during pregancy. It can be concluded that social support and adequate medical treatment reduce the risk of teenage pregnancies markedly.

SummaryThe impact of maternal height, pre-pregnancy weight status and gestational weight gain on fetal growth patterns and newborn size was analysed using a dataset of 4261 singleton term births taking place at the Viennese Danube Hospital between 2005 and 2013. Fetal growth patterns were reconstructed from three ultrasound examinations carried out at the 11th/12th, 20th/21th and 32th/33th weeks of gestation. Crown–rump length, biparietal diameter, fronto-occipital diameter, head circumference, abdominal transverse diameter, abdominal anterior–posterior diameter, abdominal circumference and femur length were determined. Birth weight, birth length and head circumference were measured immediately after birth. The vast majority of newborns were of normal weight, i.e. between 2500 and 4000 g. Maternal height showed a just-significant but weak positive association (r=0.03: p=0.039) with crown–rump length at the first trimester and with the majority of fetal parameters at the second trimester (r>0.06; pr>0.09; pr>0.08; pr>0.17; pr>0.13; pr>0.13; ppp

The selective pressures challenging the human population leave genetic signatures. This study was designed to detect positive and balancing selection on the proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 6 (PCSK6) gene by four different approaches (FDIST, BayeScan, EHH, iHS). The outlier programs FDIST and BayeScan found 27 overlapping single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) under selection, of which twelve are under strong positive directional selection and 15 under balancing selection. In the EHH analysis, all SNPs detected under positive selection show a slow decay of the derived extended haplotype. The integrated haplotype scores (iHS) for eight loci under positive selection were found to be larger than one. Based on these results, we provide a short overview of PCSK6-related mechanisms potentially associated with the detected positive or balancing selection patterns. Positive selection possibly reflects the key role of PCSK6 in tumorigenesis, in nociception, in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, in the cardiovascular circulatory as well as in blood pressure regulation. Balancing selection acting on the PCSK6 locus might be explained by its involvement in vertebral left-right asymmetry and therefore in human handedness. Whereas until now the exact nature of the selective pressures acting on PCSK6 remained incompletely understood, the results of this study provide for the first time insights into the enzyme’s evolutionary significance owing to its functional manifoldness.

Objectives The impact of sex and subsistence on fluctuating and directional asymmetry patterns was tested among !Kung San and Kavango people from northern Namibia. Methods Fluctuating and directional asymmetry from 6 paired traits were measured in a sample of 236 !Kung San and 248 Kavango people aged 18 to 65 years in the Kavango district and the Nyae-Nyae area of northern Namibia. Signed asymmetry, absolute and relative asymmetry, as well as composite fluctuating and directional asymmetry, were calculated. Results Males of both ethnic groups exhibited higher fluctuating asymmetry in comparison to their female counterparts. Marked differences in directional asymmetry of the upper extremities were found between !Kung San and Kavango people. The !Kung San people showed a significantly higher directional asymmetry than the Kavango people. Conclusions Foraging subsistence increased directional asymmetry of the upper extremities among males as well as females. In contrast, higher fluctuating asymmetry—indicating a higher degree of developmental instability—was found among males independent of subsistence group.

Homo sapiens is a typical cooperative breeder and grandparents are among the most important caregivers besides the mothers. Grandparental investment however differs markedly between maternal and paternal grandparents but also between grandmothers and grandfathers. From an evolutionary viewpoint this differential grandparental investment is mainly explained as a result of paternity uncertainty. On the other hand emotional support and child care help from grandparents may also be associated with sociocultural factors. The present study focused on the impact of grandchild’s gender, but also grandparental age and occupation on discriminative grandparental investment, i.e. solicitude, contact frequency and quality of relationship. 272 adults persons between the age 18 and 35 years (x= 23.5yrs; ±3.7) were enrolled in the study. Patterns of grandparental investment during childhood as well as quality of the grandparent- grandchild relationship were collected retrospectively using a 57 item questionnaire. As to be expected maternal grandmothers showed the highest contact frequency and the highest solicitude while -as to be expected - the paternal grandfather exhibited the lowest degree of investment. Grandparental investment was independent of grandparent category mainly influenced by residential distance. Grandchild’s gender and sociodemographic characteristics of the grandparents in contrast had a minor impact on grandparental caregiving and contact frequency. Contrary, grandchild’s gender was related significantly with the quality of relationship and emotional closeness.

Gender based differences in the prevalence rate of mental disorders are described since ancient times. In particular a strong association between female reproductive events such as sexual maturity, pregnancy, postpartum period or menopause and mental illness was described and mainly used to describe the female sex as the weak and emotionally instable one. In this review mental disorders associated with specific stages of female life history are analyzed and interpreted from the viewpoint of evolutionary medicine. In particular the association between female adolescence and eating disorders, reproductive phase and postpartum depression and depression during post menopause are focused on using an evolutionary approach. From that viewpoint mental disorders associated with female life history events seem to be adaptive to some degree, but mental disorders may also be interpreted as a result of the mismatch between recent life circumstances and the environment in which our ancestors evolved.