CHANGES IN BODY-WEIGHT IN BASOTHO WOMEN - SEASONAL COPING IN HOUSEHOLDS WITH DIFFERENT SOCIOECONOMIC CONDITIONS

The ability of populations to cope biologically with seasonal stress m ay depend upon socioeconomic conditions at the household level. In thi s study seasonal weight change (i.e., absolute weight change, weight c hange as a percentage of total body weight, and weight loss episodes) was examined in the context of household socioeconomic status (SES) fo r women from 195 households in highland Lesotho over a period of three seasons. Households were divided into close (CHHs) vs. distant househ olds (DHHs), according to the distance from the district headquarters, and into female-managed (FMHs) vs. multiple-parent households (MPHs). There are no significant differences in SES between FMHs and MPHS. Co nversely, CHHs have significantly higher SES, are more involved in the wage economy, and are less dependent upon subsistence agriculture tha n DHHs. For the total sample there is a significant difference in body weight between seasons (P = 0.005). There are no significant differen ces in body weight across seasons between FMH and MPH women. However, DHH women have significantly lower body weight throughout the three se asons (P = 0.004 and P = 0.001), and a greater change in body weight a s a percentage of total body weight between seasons (P = 0.001) than d o CHH women. In addition, more DHH women lose weight seasonally (P < 0 .001) than do CHH women. These results suggest that seasonal fluctuati ons in body weight are greater in women from households that depend up on subsistence agriculture than in women from households more involved in the wage economy. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.