ArticleAmerican journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council2025
Chronic Stress and Severe Water Insecurity During the Historic 2022 Drought in Northern Kenya Were Associated With Inflammation Among Daasanach Seminomadic Pastoralists.
Article in American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed.
- Study Protocol for the Daasanach Human Biology Project: A Longitudinal Study of the Impact of Drinking Water Salinity and Heat Stress on Water Insecurity, Hydration, Energetics, Hypertension, and Kidney Function in Northern Kenya.American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council · 2026Article
- Historic drought in northern Kenya shifts diet and mobility away from traditional pastoralism as resource security and nutrition falter.Global environmental change : human and policy dimensions · 2026Article
- Increased Vulnerability to Dehydration Due to Heat Stress and Drought Across Reproductive States for Pastoralist Women in Northern Kenya.American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council · 2026Article
- Birth Weight in the Daasanach Community of Northern Kenya and the Effect of Multiparity.American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council · 2026Article
- Implementation of family-centered care in Pediatric Gastroscopy.Pakistan journal of medical sciences · 2026Article
- The Ecology and Human Biology of Pastoralists: Building on the Contributions of Michael A. Little.American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council · 2025Article
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14 authors.
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Abstract
objectiveExtreme climatic events, like droughts, are increasing in frequency and severity. Droughts disrupt community livelihoods and resources with serious implications for human biology. This study investigated how chronic stress, measured by fingernail cortisol concentration (FCC), and water insecurity status were predictive of C-reactive protein (CRP), a biomarker of inflammation, during a historic drought among Daasanach seminomadic pastoralists.
methodsData were collected at the height of the 2022 drought from 128 Daasanach household heads aged 16-80 years in northern Kenya using household surveys, anthropometric measurements, and dried blood spots to assess CRP levels and fingernails to assess FCC. We employed mixed-effects linear and logistic regression models to examine the relationships between log-transformed FCC, high water insecurity status measured via the Household Water Insecurity Experiences (HWISE ≥ 24) scale, and serum-equivalent CRP (log-transformed and dichotomized at mild, low-grade inflammation ≥ 1 mg/L) adjusted for covariates.
resultsThe mean serum-equivalent CRP was 4.1 mg/L and 56.3% of Daasanach adults had at least mild, low-grade inflammation. Linear models indicated that ln(FCC) was positively associated with ln(CRP) (β = 0.56, SE = 0.12; p < 0.001). Further, logistic models demonstrated that ln(FCC) (OR = 2.69, 95% CI: 1.84-3.95; p < 0.001) and high water insecurity (OR = 2.23, 95% CI: 1.34-3.72; p = 0.002) were both associated with greater odds of low-grade inflammation.
conclusionThis study provides evidence for how chronic stress and severe water insecurity may impact inflammation levels among pastoralists during drought. Since inflammation is central to cardiometabolic disease etiology, this is an additional reason to mitigate the negative health impacts of droughts and water insecurity exacerbated by climate change.
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