American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 9, 217-228, Copyright © 1961 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

Sex Variation in the Nutritional State of Urban Zulu Adults

I. Weight, Skinfold Thickness, and Skin and Mucosal Lesions

¹ From the Department of Social, Preventive and Family Medicine, University of Natal, Durban, South Africa, and the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, State College of Washington, Pullman, Washington

The examination of a population sample of urban Zulu adults in Durban revealed a number of differences between the nutritional states of men and women.

There was considerably more adiposity among the women, manifested both in higher relative weights and in greater skinfold thickness measurements. It was concluded that this finding was probably largely related to their greater caloric intake and/or their lesser degree of activity, relative to the men. A high valuation is placed on female stoutness in this community.

Gingival lesions were more common among the men. There was evidence indicating that this was partly due to a lesser consumption of fruit by the men. There was evidence, also, of a sex difference independent of fruit intake, possibly related to a biological difference in ascorbic acid requirements. Among the women, an association was found between gum abnormalities and parity, probably reflecting the depleting effect of repeated gestation and prolonged lactation.

Dyssebacia/folliculosis was more marked among the men. There were indications that this was a reflection of endocrine factors involving the sex hormones in particular.

No sex variation was found in respect to phrynoderma, follicular enlargement, skin xerosis, or lip and tongue abnormalities.