Doctoral Dissertation Research: Intestinal energy absorption among children living in poor sanitary conditions

In order to remain healthy and to grow, children need to consume a diet with sufficient energy. Food’s energy, however, is only made available for the body’s metabolic functions through intestinal absorption, which is impacted by both environmental and evolutionary factors. For example, children living in adverse and unsanitary conditions often have damaged intestines and poor intestinal energy absorption, which negatively affects their growth, development, and lifelong metabolic health.

Impaired intestinal absorption leads to increased energy loss through urine and feces. This loss causes higher food energy demands, that may not be attainable under adverse conditions. Despite its importance, research and data on intestine function variation and its impact on children’s health and growth is limited.

To address this issue, this doctoral dissertation research project investigates differences in children’s energy absorption among those living in adverse and unsanitary conditions in both rural and peri-urban contexts. Results are shared broadly, and outreach activities are directed to K-12 children.

This research advances understanding of the role of intestinal absorption in driving variation in human phenotype and health by investigating intestinal function among children living in rural and peri-urban contexts. Data collection in both contexts capture a wide range of variation in experienced diet, lifestyle, sanitation, and pathogen exposure.

There are two main research questions: (1) How do household conditions relate to children’s intestinal function and energy loss? And (2) How do intestinal function and energy loss impact children’s body size and nutritional status? By measuring fecal energy loss using the 'bomb' calorimetry approach, this research has the potential to better characterize global variation in intestinal energy absorption and to improve the accuracy of estimates of children’s energy requirements.

These improved estimates will refine life history models of human evolution and could inform more effective nutritional interventions for children in similar contexts.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.