CGPH FACULTY: Lia Fernald
DATE OF PUBLICATION: December 2011
REGION: Africa
REFERENCE: Golden CD, Fernald LC, Brashares JS, Rasolofoniaina BJ, Kremen C. Benefits of wildlife consumption to child nutrition in a biodiversity hotspot. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Dec 6;108(49):19653-6. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1112586108. Epub 2011 Nov 21″
SUMMARY/ABSTRACT: Terrestrial wildlife is the primary source of meat for hundreds of millions of people throughout the developing world. Despite widespread human reliance on wildlife for food, the impact of wildlife depletion on human health remains poorly understood. Here we studied a prospective longitudinal cohort of 77 preadolescent children (under 12 y of age) in rural northeastern Madagascar and show that consuming more wildlife was associated with significantly higher hemoglobin concentrations. Our research quantifies costs of reduced access to wildlife for a rural community in Madagascar and illuminates pathways that may broadly link reduced natural resource access to declines in childhood health.
ACCESS: Link to Pubmed