Tallman Paula S, Seligman Rebecca A, Madimenos Felicia C, Liebert Melissa A, Cepon-Robins Tara J, Snodgrass J Josh, McDade Thomas W, Sugiyama Lawrence S
Department of Anthropology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
The Keller Science Action Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Am J Hum Biol. 2025 Jan;37(1):e24191. doi: 10.1002/ajhb.24191. Epub 2024 Nov 29.
This study tests the hypothesis that self-reported somatic symptoms are associated with biomarkers of stress, including elevated blood pressure and suppressed immune function, among Shuar adults living in the Ecuadorian Amazon.
Research was conducted in three Shuar communities in the Upano Valley of the Ecuadorian Amazon and included the collection of biomarkers and a structured morbidity interview. Participants self-reported somatic symptoms such as headaches, body pain, fatigue, and other bodily symptoms. We examined whether the number of somatic symptoms reported was associated with measures of immune (Epstein-Barr virus [EBV] antibodies) and cardiovascular (blood pressure) functioning in 97 Shuar adults (37 women, 60 men; ages 18-65 years). Multivariate linear regression analyses were used to examine the relationships among somatic symptoms and stress biomarkers, controlling for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), active infection, level of education, and income.
Controlling for relevant covariates, Shuar adults reporting the highest level of somatic symptoms (three symptoms) were more likely to exhibit elevated systolic (β = 0.20, p = 0.04) and diastolic blood pressure (β = 0.23, p = 0.03), in comparison to adults reporting no symptoms. Shuar adults reporting two symptoms, compared to no symptoms, were more likely to exhibit elevated EBV antibody concentrations (β = 0.34, p = < 0.01).
These preliminary findings demonstrate that somatic symptoms reported by Shuar men and women are associated with physiological measures widely associated with chronic psychosocial stress. These findings complement the cross-cultural literature in medical anthropology documenting the close connection between the expression of somatic symptoms and stressful life circumstances and highlight the important role that human biologists can play in exploring biocultural phenomena.
本研究检验了一个假设，即在生活于厄瓜多尔亚马逊地区的舒阿尔成年人中，自我报告的躯体症状与压力生物标志物相关，包括血压升高和免疫功能受抑制。
研究在厄瓜多尔亚马逊地区乌帕诺山谷的三个舒阿尔社区进行，包括收集生物标志物和进行结构化发病情况访谈。参与者自我报告躯体症状，如头痛、身体疼痛、疲劳及其他身体症状。我们在97名舒阿尔成年人（37名女性，60名男性；年龄18 - 65岁）中，研究报告的躯体症状数量是否与免疫（爱泼斯坦 - 巴尔病毒[EBV]抗体）和心血管（血压）功能指标相关。采用多元线性回归分析来研究躯体症状与压力生物标志物之间的关系，并对年龄、性别、体重指数（BMI）、活动性感染、教育程度和收入进行控制。
在控制相关协变量后，与报告无躯体症状的成年人相比，报告最高水平躯体症状（三种症状）的舒阿尔成年人更有可能出现收缩压升高（β = 0.20，p = 0.04）和舒张压升高（β = 0.23，p = 0.03）。与无症状相比，报告两种症状的舒阿尔成年人更有可能出现EBV抗体浓度升高（β = 0.34，p < 0.01）。
这些初步研究结果表明，舒阿尔男性和女性报告的躯体症状与广泛与慢性心理社会压力相关的生理指标有关。这些发现补充了医学人类学中的跨文化文献，这些文献记录了躯体症状表达与压力生活环境之间的紧密联系，并突出了人类生物学家在探索生物文化现象中可以发挥的重要作用。
