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Local cold exposure of Andean Indians during normal and simulated activities
Author(s) -
Jones R. E.,
Little M. A.,
Thomas R. B.,
Hoff C. J.,
Dufour D. L.
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
american journal of physical anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1096-8644
pISSN - 0002-9483
DOI - 10.1002/ajpa.1330440213
Subject(s) - foot (prosody) , demography , zoology , ingestion , alcohol consumption , cold stress , medicine , alcohol , biology , philosophy , linguistics , biochemistry , sociology , gene
Thermal responses of Andean Indians were measured during several customary tasks associated with cold exposure in the highlands of southern Peru. These included surface temperature measurements of women while they washed clothing in the river and similar measurements of men while they constructed a diversion channel in the same river. A third test measured the effects of alcohol consumption on body temperatures during light activity. Women maintained slightly warmer hand than foot temperatures. Men maintained nearly equal hand and foot temperatures during the exposure period. Among male subjects the foot rewarmed at a faster rate than the hand. The results from the field studies compared favorably with results from earlier laboratory exposure tests. Comparisons between the river water exposure tests for males and females showed a consistent pattern where females maintained warmer hand and foot temperatures than males. These findings were in accord with previous laboratory studies among Quechua Indians and with the findings reported for other ethnic groups who experience natural cold stress. Alcohol ingestion appeared to have minimal effect in mitigating cold stress response during light activity. This finding was counter to earlier laboratory tests of resting subjects.