The ecology of birth seasonality among agriculturalists in central Africa
Bailey, R.C.; Jenike, M.R.; Ellison, P.T.; Bentley, G.R.; Harrigan, A.M.; Peacock, N.R.
Journal of Biosocial Science 24(3): 393-412
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0021-9320 PMID: 1634568 Document Number: 320459
The Lese are subsistence farmers living in the Ituri Forest of north-east Zaire. They exhibit significant birth seasonality, with lowest frequencies of conception when food production is least, nutritional status is low and ovarian function, as measured by salivary steroid hormone levels, is reduced. Efe pygmy foragers, who live in the same geograpical area but are less dependent on cultivated foods and have a more flexible life style, do not exhibit frequency fluctuations in nutritional status nor significant birth seasonality. These findings support a model of birth seasonality relating climatic variables to variation in fertility through a causal chain linking rainfall to food production to energy balance to ovarian function to fertility. The model, which emphasises an ecological approach to the study of human reproduction, should have broad applicability since seasonality of food production and energy balance is widespread geographically and across a wide varity of economies and cultures.