Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Polynesia”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 685 records · Page 38Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Cornell Medical Index responses and mortality in a Polynesian population.

The Cornell Medical Index (CMI) is a health questionnaire consisting of a somatic division, divided into 12 sections organized by organ systems, and a psychosocial division. It has been suggested that the CMI taps a dimension of the perception of illness before clinical measurements detect disease. However, this has not been confirmed in nonwestern populations. Our purpose was to determine if the CMI predicted 6-year mortality in a Polynesian population. In 1975, 461 American Samoan men responded to the CMI. Thirty-one died between 1976 and 1981, 13 of cardiovascular disease (CVD). A logistic model was used to predict both total and CVD mortality during the follow-up period. Positive responses to the total, somatic, and psychosocial divisions of the CMI did not significantly improve prediction of mortality compared to models using only age. An analysis using section scores showed that several somatic sections were associated with CVD mortality, but none were associated with total mortality. This study suggests that the CMI is not a strong predictor of mortality and, by extension, of existing health status in American Samoa. Even if the CMI does measure the perception of illness, one cannot assume a priori that it is valid in any given anthropological population. Rather, the instrument must be pretested in each particular cultural setting.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Spiritual and natural etiologies on a Polynesian outlier in Papua New Guinea.

Several writers have challenged recently the long-held contention that non-Western peoples tend to emphasize spirits, sorcerers, and other supernatural forces in their explanations for the cause of illness. Here, I examine indigenous theories of illness-causation on Nukumanu, a Polynesian outlier atoll in Papua New Guinea. Although Nukumanu invoke mundane as well as supernatural explanations, their major preoccupation is with spirits as etiological agents. In this light, I suggest a number of potential reasons for the difference between my findings on Nukumanu and those of commentators who have emphasized naturalistic etiologies among the peoples they have studied. In addition to real ethnographic variation, I argue that a major reason for the difference lies in the level of causality (instrumental as opposed to efficient and ultimate) sought by various investigators.

Causality↗
PubMed1990

Behavioural factors affecting physical health of the New Zealand Maori.

A major factor in the aetiology of illness is the behaviour of individuals with regard to certain risks and hazards of the environment. The Maori of New Zealand have been shown to be at greater risk of illness and death than their non-Maori counterparts. It is estimated that a significant proportion of this excess morbidity and mortality can be attributed to at least four behavioural factors: smoking, obesity, alcohol use and accidents. This paper examines the inter-cultural differences in these factors, both from a contemporary and an historical perspective. Some of the reasons for the continuation of these adverse patterns of behaviour are explored, in particular the role of psycho-cultural stress. Some possible mechanisms of effecting behavioural change in modern Maori society are discussed.

Accidents↗
PubMed1994

Observations on ethnic differences in SIDS mortality in New Zealand.

INTRODUCTION: Within New Zealand the SIDS mortality rate is higher in Maori than in non-Maori, predominantly European. AIMS: This paper addresses two questions (1) How should ethnicity be defined, by biological or cultural criteria? (2) Why is the SIDS rate higher in Maori, because of different risk factors or because of a higher prevalence of common risk factors? METHODS: A nationwide case-control study. RESULTS: The majority of mothers with some Maori blood (as reported on the infants birth registration form) report they are Maori (as recorded in the obstetric records or interview). Risk factors for SIDS are similar in the various ethnic groups in New Zealand. CONCLUSIONS: Using a biological definition underestimates the number of Maori infants compared to the cultural definition. Differences in SIDS mortality appear to be explained by differences in prevalence of known risk factors, the most important of which, prone sleeping position, maternal smoking, lack of breast feeding and bed sharing, are culturally determined rather than biologically.

Case-Control Studies↗
PubMed1985

Traditional and herbal medicine in the Cook Islands.

The modern day health care system in the Cook Islands is a combination of neo-traditional ways and Western medicine. The practice of "Maori medicine" is widespread in the Cook Islands, with native healers using a variety of herbal medicines and traditional practices to treat many of the common ailments affecting the people. After a historical review, the current methods of preparing and administering herbal medicines are discussed, followed by a discussion of what is commonly called "ghost sickness (maki tupapaku) in the islands. Included is a list of the 49 plants most commonly used in native cures, with information on how often and for what they are used. Also included is a glossary of Maori terms for the various ailments with which the healers are familiar.

Health↗
PubMed1992

Traditional remedies used in the western Pacific for the treatment of ciguatera poisoning.

Ciguatera is a specific type of food poisoning associated with the ingestion of tropical fish, which, although normally safe for consumption, may at times contain high amounts of ciguatoxin, as well as other chemically related toxins. Widespread in tropical regions where coral reefs are present, ciguatera fish poisoning constitutes a major hindrance for local fishing industries, local economies and foreign trade. Because no symptomatic treatment has been totally satisfactory, folk remedies remain of great interest. In this paper, a list of plants used in treating ciguatera poisoning in the Western Pacific region is presented, with emphasis on species whose exact utilization (part of plant used, preparation, dosage) has been determined.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Saving the ethnopharmacological heritage of Samoa.

Early European visitors to Samoa tended to denigrate the authenticity and efficacy of Samoan herbal medicine, yet bioassays indicate pharmacological activity in over 86% of Samoan medicinal plants. Novel anti-inflammatory compounds have been isolated from Alphitonia zyzyphoides and Erythrina variegata, and the anti-HIV compound prostratin has been isolated from Homalanthus nutans. Unfortunately, both Samoan ethnopharmacology and Samoan rain forests are threatened. In order to prevent logging, funds were raised to build a needed village school in exchange for a village covenant to protect the 30,000 acre Falealupo forest. Subsequently, four additional rainforest reserves have been established. Hopefully such conservation measures can save the ethnopharmacological knowledge of Samoa.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Do triglycerides explain the U-shaped relation between alcohol and diabetes risk? Results from a cross-sectional survey of alcohol and plasma glucose.

The association between alcohol and blood glucose levels, and whether it is modified by other variables, was examined in a cross-sectional survey of 5518 staff aged 40-65 years at worksites in Auckland and Tokoroa, New Zealand. Diabetes was determined by oral glucose-tolerance tests using 1999 WHO criteria. Usual alcohol intake in the previous 3 months, measured by food frequency questionnaire, was related positively with fasting triglycerides and high-density-lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, and unrelated with fasting glucose, but had an approximate U-shaped relationship with 2-h glucose, which varied from an adjusted mean (S.E.) of 5.62 (0.08) mmol/l in non-drinkers, down to 5.34 (0.08) mmol/l in light alcohol drinkers (alcohol <5 g per day), and back up to 5.52 (0.09) mmol/l in heavy drinkers (> or =20 g per day). Adjusting further for triglycerides increased the mean difference in 2-h glucose for all drinking categories compared with non-drinkers, particularly for heavy drinkers (> or =20 g per day), from -0.22 (S.E. = 0.10) to -0.37 (0.10) mmol/l. The confounding effect of triglycerides suggests alcohol may affect the diabetes risk by a mechanism related to the triglyceride metabolism, which in heavy drinkers may counteract the protective effect of improved insulin sensitivity, resulting in the U-shaped relationship between alcohol and diabetes described in previous studies.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Insulin resistance and impaired glucose metabolism in a predominantly Maori community.

We sought to identify lifestyle behaviours which influence risk of impaired glucose metabolism, IGM (newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance [IGT] or impaired fasting glycemia [IFG]) or insulin resistance (IR) in a predominantly Maori community, and applied the McAuley formula to determine whether it predicts high risk individuals amongst this community. Three hundred and seventy one participants completed a lifestyle and dietary behaviour questionnaire and oral glucose tolerance test. Clinical variables, microalbuminuria, fasting glucose, insulin and lipids were measured. Diabetes, IFG and IGT were defined according to WHO criteria. IR was defined using the McAuley formula. Those with IGM and those with IR showed similar risk factor attributes. Odds ratios (95% CI) for development of IGM and IR were 0.43 (0.21-0.88) and 0.51 (0.33-0.80), respectively, for regular physical activity, and 0.55 (0.26-1.15) and 0.59 (0.37-0.96), respectively, for two or more dietary behaviours characterized by a high intake of fibre. Regular physical activity and a diet characterized by a high intake of dietary fibre were found to reduce risk of newly diagnosed IGM or IR. The McAuley formula appears to predict high-risk individuals in a predominantly Maori population as it does in European populations.

Blood Glucose↗
PubMed2004

Food of paradise: Tahitian breadfruit and the autocritique of European consumption.

In many ways, Tahiti was central to European colonialism, for it was there that European visitors forged a model of primitive nature that served as a comparison to, and sometimes critique of, European civilization. Tahiti was also the place from which a unique plant, the breadfruit, was brought to European colonies and to England and France during the late 18th century, at the behest of naturalists. With the breadfruit travelled contrasting perceptions of the Tahitian way of life. The autocritique of European lifestyles and the naturalization of the breadfruit are closely intertwined. The breadfruit indeed became a radical food of the end of the 18th century.

Artocarpus↗
PubMed2005

The articular surfaces of the hindfoot: sex assessment of prehistoric New Zealand Polynesian skeletal remains.

Prehistoric Polynesian skeletal remains are frequently being recovered in New Zealand due to the increasing pace of urbanisation. Since such material must often be reinterred quickly, it is important that the sex of individuals be determined from the remains in a relatively short time. For this purpose, discriminant function analysis was utilised for sex determination of prehistoric adult New Zealand Polynesian tali (24 male and 27 females) and calcanei (26 males and 22 females). Two measurements of the trochlear articular surface of the talus and two measurements of the posterior talar articular surface of the calcaneus were taken and subjected to Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) discriminant function analysis. For the single discriminant function derived, accuracy in sex determination was 92.3% and reduction in error over random assignment by sex was 85%.

Calcaneus↗
PubMed2004

The femoral head: sex assessment of prehistoric New Zealand Polynesian skeletal remains.

Prehistoric Polynesian skeletal remains are frequently being recovered in New Zealand due to the increasing pace of urbanisation. Since such material must often be reinterred quickly, it is important that the sex of individuals be determined from the remains in a relatively short time. For this purpose, discriminant function analysis was utilised for sex determination of prehistoric adult New Zealand Polynesian femora (47 male and 44 female). Three measurements of the femoral head were taken and subjected to Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) discriminant function analysis. For the discriminant functions derived, accuracy of sex determination ranged from 80.9% to 82.4%. Reduction in error over random assignment by sex ranged from 62% to 65%.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Automated radioxenon monitoring for the comprehensive nuclear-test-ban treaty in two distinctive locations: Ottawa and Tahiti.

In preparation for verification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban-Treaty, automated radioxenon monitoring is performed in two distinctive environments: Ottawa and Tahiti. These sites are monitored with SPALAX (Systeme de Prelevement d'air Automatique en Ligne avec l'Analyse des radioXenons) technology, which automatically extracts radioxenon from the atmosphere and measures the activity concentrations of (131m,133m,133,135)Xe. The resulting isotopic concentrations can be useful to discern nuclear explosions from nuclear industry xenon emissions. Ambient radon background, which may adversely impact analyser sensitivity, is discussed. Upper concentration limits are reported for the apparently radioxenon free Tahiti environment. Ottawa has a complex radioxenon background due to proximity to nuclear reactors and medical isotope facilities. Meteorological models suggest that, depending on the wind direction, the radioxenon detected in Ottawa can be characteristic of the normal radioxenon background in the Eastern United States, Europe, and Japan or distinctive due to medical isotope production.

Air Movements↗
PubMed2005

First characterization of a large deletion of the PDHA 1 gene.

Pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) deficiency is one of the major recognized causes of congenital lactic acidosis. The most common form is due to PDHA 1 gene (Xp22.12) defects. Here, we report the case of a Polynesian girl presenting with delayed neurological development, cortical atrophy, and posterior corpus callosum agenesis. Elevated lactate and pyruvate levels in blood and cerebrospinal fluid suggested PDC deficiency. However, PDC activity was within the normal range in lymphocytes and the direct sequencing of the 11 exons and intron-exon junctions of the PDHA 1 gene did not show any changes. Long-range PCR amplification of the whole gene (16 kb) from blood DNA revealed a heterozygous deletion of approximately 4.2kb. Fine mapping of the deletion breakpoint was achieved using purified long-range PCR products for restriction enzyme analysis and direct sequencing. The deletion removed a 4,227 bp region covering part of intron 5 to part of intron 9 [g.10,145_14,371 del 4,227]. The deletion breakpoint contained a short direct repeat (GTAG), which may be derived either from the upstream or the downstream homologous sequence. The presence of a GAG triplet and inverted repeats in the vicinity of the deletion suggest replication slippage at a polymerase alpha arrest site. This is the first time that a large intragenic deletion of the PDHA 1 gene has been characterized.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1998

Genetic epidemiology of cholesterol cholelithiasis among Chilean Hispanics, Amerindians, and Maoris.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The etiology of cholesterol gallstones is multifactorial, with interactions of genes and the environment. The hypothesis that aborigine cholesterol lithogenic genes are widely spread among Chileans, a population with a high prevalence of gallstones, was tested. METHODS: Medical history and anthropometric measurements were obtained and abdominal ultrasonography was performed in 182 Mapuche Indians, 225 Maoris of Easter Island, and 1584 Hispanics. Blood groups, DNA, lipids, and glucose were analyzed. The Amerindian Admixture Index and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) assessed the ethnicity and degree of racial admixture. RESULTS: Amerindian Admixture Index was 0.8 in Mapuches and 0.4 in Hispanics. All Mapuches, 88% of Hispanics, but none of Maoris had Amerindian mtDNA haplotypes. Age- and sex-adjusted global prevalence of gallstone disease was higher in Mapuches (35%) than in Hispanics (27%) and Maoris (21%). Compared with Hispanics, the youngest group of Mapuches had the greatest corrected risk of gallstones: odds ratios of 6.0 in women and 2.3 in men. In contrast, the gallstone risk in Maoris was lower compared with Hispanics: odds ratios of 0.6 for women and 0.5 for men. CONCLUSIONS: Cholesterol lithogenic genes appear widely spread among Chilean Indians and Hispanics. They could determine the early formation of gallstones and explain the high prevalence of gallbladder diseases among some South American populations.

Adult↗