Papers by Anna Ziomkiewicz
The 85th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists, Atlanta, GA, 2016
American Journal of Human Biology, Oct 6, 2017
Life history theory predicts a trade‐off between female investment in reproduction and somatic ma... more Life history theory predicts a trade‐off between female investment in reproduction and somatic maintenance, which can result in accelerated senescence. Oxidative stress has been shown to be a causal physiological mechanism for accelerated aging and a possible contributor to this trade‐off. We aimed to test the hypothesis for the existence of significant associations between measures of reproductive effort and the level of oxidative stress biomarkers in premenopausal and postmenopausal American women.
Stężenia estradiolu i progesteronu, hormonów steroidowych cyklu menstruacyjnego, wpływają na pote... more Stężenia estradiolu i progesteronu, hormonów steroidowych cyklu menstruacyjnego, wpływają na potencjalną płodność i wiele apektów stanu zdrowia kobiet. Zmienność w stężeniach tych hormonów wykazana została pomiędzy populacjami, kobietami w obrębie tej samej populacji, oraz pomiędzy kolejnymi cyklami tej samej kobiety. Przyczyny tej zmienności wynikają przede wszystkim z warunków środowiskowych (tj. stylu życia). Głównym czynnikiem wpływającym na stężenia hormonów jest dostępność energii metabolicznej dla organizmu. Intensywne wydatkowanie energii (sport, praca fi zyczna) lub niedostateczna jej podaż w diecie i w rezultacie utrata masy ciała, skutkują supresją reprodukcyjną, polegającą na obniżeniu stężeń hormonów i w związku z tym obniżeniem szansy na zajście w ciążę. Wpływ czynników związanych ze stylem życia w dorosłości jest dobrze udokumentowany, ale nowsze badania wskazują również na znaczenie warunków rozwoju płodowego i rozwoju w dzieciństwie na stężenia hormonów. Badana jest również zależność stężeń hormonów od czynników genetycznych, a zwłaszcza polimorfi zmu genów cytochromowych. Zmienność stężeń hormonów najczęściej jest rozpatrywana na poziomie identyfi kacji czynników będących jej przyczyną i działających mechanizmów fi zjologicznych. Zmienność ta wymaga jednak również wyjaśnienia z perspektywy ewolucyjnej. W tym kontekście supresja reprodukcyjna w odpowiedzi na zredukowany dostęp energii metabolicznej nie jest zjawiskiem patologicznym, lecz adaptacją ewolucyjną, mającą na celu obniżenie prawdopodobieństwa ciąży w niekorzystnych dla matki i płodu warunkach, a w skali całego życia-zwiększenie sukcesu reprodukcyjnego kobiety.
American Journal of Human Biology, Nov 14, 2020
Objectives:Oxidative stress is hypothesized to contribute to age-related somatic deterioration. B... more Objectives:Oxidative stress is hypothesized to contribute to age-related somatic deterioration. Both reproductive and ecological context may necessitate tradeoffs that influence this outcome. We examined whether measures of lifetime reproductive effort were related to levels of oxidative stress biomarkers in peri- and post-menopausal women and whether associations were moderated by rural or urban residence.Methods:We surveyed 263 healthy women (age 62.1 ± 10.0 SD) from rural (N=161) and urban Poland (N=102), collecting sociodemographic data and urine samples to analyze biomarkers of oxidative stress (8-oxo-2’-deoxyguanosine, 8-OHdG) and antioxidative defense (copper-zinc superoxide dismutase, Cu-Zn SOD). Linear regression models, adjusted for residence, were used to test for associations between reproductive effort and 8-OHdG and Cu-Zn SOD.Results:Univariate models demonstrated significant associations between gravidity and the biomarkers of oxidative stress (8-OHdG: R2 = 0.042, p = <0.001 ; Cu-Zn SOD: R2 = 0.123, p = <0.001). Multivariate models incorporating potential confounding variables, as well as cross-product interaction terms, indicated that gravidity was associated with 8-OHdG (p < 0.01, R2adj = 0.067) and Cu-Zn SOD (p = 0.01, R2adj = 0.159). Residence (i.e urban v. rural) did not significantly moderate the associations between the biomarkers and reproductive effort.Conclusions:Higher lifetime reproductive effort contributes to increases in oxidative stress and antioxidative defenses. Our results provide evidence of potential mechanisms underlying the physiological tradeoffs influencing senescence for women with high reproductive effort. We illustrate the value of applying an evolutionary perspective to elucidate variation in human health and senescence.
Personality and Individual Differences, 2018
Studies have reported that tattooing may increase women's ratings of masculinity and dominance of... more Studies have reported that tattooing may increase women's ratings of masculinity and dominance of men. Simultaneously, women's preferences for men's masculinity may alter due to the hormonal changes associated with menstrual cycle phase and use of hormonal oral contraceptives (OC). Here we present the results of the first study exploring whether women's perceptions of tattooed men may be influenced by female reproductive state. Pictures of men with and without a tattoo were rated in seven categories by 2437 females divided into groups (1) in fertile and non-fertile cycle phase and (2) using and not using oral hormonal contraceptives. We failed to demonstrate any significant effect of fertility status of a woman on her assessment of tattooed men in any category (attractiveness, health, masculinization, dominance, aggressiveness, potential of being a good father and a good partner).
Scientific Reports
Maternal childhood trauma (MCT) is an important factor affecting offspring size at birth. Whether... more Maternal childhood trauma (MCT) is an important factor affecting offspring size at birth. Whether the effect of MCT persists during the subsequent development remains unclear. We present the results of a semi-longitudinal investigation examining the physical growth of infants born to mothers with high (HCT) and low (LCT) childhood trauma during the first year of life. One hundred healthy mother-infant dyads were included based on following criteria: exclusive breastfeeding, birth on term with appropriate weight for gestational age. MCT was assessed using the Early Life Stress Questionnaire. The weight, length, and head circumference of the infant were taken at birth, 5 and 12 months postpartum. Separate MANCOVA models were run for infant size at each age. We found an association between MCT and infant size at 5 and 12 months. The children of mothers with HCT had higher weight and greater head circumference than the children of mothers with LCT. These results suggest that MCT might c...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Perinatal maternal anxiety and depression negatively affect intrauterine fetal development, birth... more Perinatal maternal anxiety and depression negatively affect intrauterine fetal development, birth outcome, breastfeeding initiation, duration, and milk composition. Antenatal classes potentially reduce the anxiety of pregnant women and may thus contribute to healthy infant development. The study investigates the relationship between participation in online or in-person antenatal classes and levels of anxiety and depression in Polish women during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study group included 1774 adult, non-smoking pregnant women. We compared the state anxiety (STAI-State) and depression levels (EPDS) in women who (i) attended antenatal classes in-person, (ii) attended online classes, and (iii) did not attend any of them. The statistical analyses included a GLM model and trend analysis, while controlling for maternal trait anxiety, age, pregnancy complications, trimester of pregnancy, previous pregnancies, and COVID-19 infections. We observed statistically significant differences i...
Cumulative, log transformed data on estradiol. Estradiol values were obtained from daily collecte... more Cumulative, log transformed data on estradiol. Estradiol values were obtained from daily collected saliva samples
Basic data about study participants
The alleles that are detrimental to health, especially in older age, are thought to persist in po... more The alleles that are detrimental to health, especially in older age, are thought to persist in populations because they also confer some benefits for individuals (through antagonistic pleiotropy). The ApoE4 allele at the ApoE locus, encoding apolipoprotein E (ApoE), significantly increases risk of poor health, and yet it is present in many populations at relatively high frequencies. Why has it not been replaced by natural selection with the health-beneficial ApoE3 allele? ApoE is a major supplier of cholesterol precursor for the production of ovarian oestrogen and progesterone, thus ApoE has been suggested as the potential candidate gene that may cause variation in reproductive performance. Our results support this hypothesis showing that in 117 regularly menstruating women those with genotypes with at least one ApoE4 allele had significantly higher levels of mean luteal progesterone (144.21 pmol l−1) than women with genotypes without ApoE4 (120.49 pmol l−1), which indicates higher potential fertility. The hormonal profiles were based on daily data for entire menstrual cycles. We suggest that the finding of higher progesterone in women with ApoE4 allele could provide first strong evidence for an evolutionary mechanism of maintaining the ancestral and health-worsening ApoE4 allele in human populations
Nutrients, 2021
Possible alterations of maternal immune function due to psychological stress may reflect immunoac... more Possible alterations of maternal immune function due to psychological stress may reflect immunoactive factor levels in breast milk. This study aimed to assess the association between maternal distress and breast milk levels of secretory IgA (SIgA), IgM, IgG, and lactoferrin (LF). We hypothesized that this association is moderated by maternal social support achieved from others during lactation. The study group included 103 lactating mothers and their healthy five-month-old infants. Maternal distress was determined based on the State Anxiety Inventory and the level of salivary cortisol. Social support was assessed using the Berlin Social Support Scales. Breast milk samples were collected to test for SIgA, IgM, IgG, and LF using the ELISA method. Milk immunoactive factors were regressed against maternal anxiety, social support, salivary cortisol, and infant gestational age using the general regression model. Maternal anxiety was negatively associated with milk levels of LF (β = −0.23,...
Scientific Reports, 2021
We studied a sample of 146 Polish, exclusively breastfeeding mothers and their healthy born on ti... more We studied a sample of 146 Polish, exclusively breastfeeding mothers and their healthy born on time infants to explore the effect of perinatal psychosocial stress on breast milk composition. Maternal perinatal stress was assessed using Recent Life Changes Questionnaire summarizing stressful events from the previous six months. Stress reactivity was determined by administering the cold pressor test and measuring cortisol in saliva samples taken during the test. Breast milk sample was taken to measure energy, protein, fat, lactose, and fatty acid content. Analyses revealed that stress reactivity was positively associated with milk fat and long-chain unsaturated fatty acids and negatively associated with milk lactose. Perinatal psychosocial stress negatively affected energy density, fat as well as medium-chain and long-chain saturated fatty acids in milk. These results, together with previous studies, advocate monitoring maternal psychological status during the peripartum to promote br...
Symmetry, 2021
Facial cognition serves an important role in human daily interactions. It has been suggested that... more Facial cognition serves an important role in human daily interactions. It has been suggested that facial shape can serve as a signal for underlining biological condition, and that it is correlated with, among others, health, fertility, and attractiveness. In this study, 14 women were photographed during three consecutive trimesters of pregnancy, and the levels of their facial sexual dimorphism, asymmetry, and averageness were computed. Facial sexual dimorphism in first trimester was higher than in the second trimester (F(2, 22) = 5.77; p = 0.01; ηp2 = 0.34, post-hoc Tukey HSD test p = 0.007). Similar pattern was visible for asymmetry (F(2, 22) = 3.67; p = 0.04; ηp2 = 0.25, post-hoc Tukey HSD test p = 0.05). No statistically significant changes in measurement of averageness were observed. Results from Bayesian complementary analyses confirmed the observed effects for sexual dimorphism. The evidence for trimester differences in asymmetry and averageness was inconsequential. Based on t...
Anthropologischer Anzeiger, 2020
Life history theory predicts that experiencing stress during the early period of life will result... more Life history theory predicts that experiencing stress during the early period of life will result in accelerated growth and earlier maturation. Indeed, animal and some human studies documented a faster pace of growth in the offspring of stressed mothers. Recent advances in epigenetics suggest that the effects of early developmental stress might be passed across the generations. However, evidence for such intergenerational transmission is scarce, at least in humans. Here we report the results of the study investigating the association between childhood trauma in mothers and physical growth in their children during the first months of life. Anthropometric and psychological data were collected from 99 mothers and their exclusively breastfed children at the age of 5 months. The mothers completed the Early Life Stress Questionnaire to assess childhood trauma. The questionnaire includes questions about the most traumatic events that they had experienced before the age of 12 years. Infant growth was evaluated based on the anthropometric measurements of weight, length, and head circumference. Also, to control for the size of maternal investment, the composition of breast milk samples taken at the time of infant anthropometric measurements was investigated. The children of mothers with higher early life stress tended to have higher weight and bigger head circumference. The association between infant anthropometrics and early maternal stress was not affected by breast milk composition, suggesting that the effect of maternal stress on infant growth was independent of the size of maternal investment. Our results demonstrate that early maternal trauma may affect the pace of growth in the offspring and, in consequence, lead to a faster life history strategy. This effect might be explained via changes in offspring epigenetics.
American Journal of Human Biology, 2020
ObjectivesOxidative stress is hypothesized to contribute to age‐related somatic deterioration. Bo... more ObjectivesOxidative stress is hypothesized to contribute to age‐related somatic deterioration. Both reproductive and ecological context may necessitate tradeoffs that influence this outcome. We examined whether measures of lifetime reproductive effort were related to levels of oxidative stress biomarkers in peri‐ and post‐menopausal women and whether associations were moderated by rural or urban residence.MethodsWe surveyed 263 healthy women (age 62.1 ± 10.0 SD) from rural (N = 161) and urban Poland (N = 102), collecting sociodemographic data and urine samples to analyze biomarkers of oxidative stress (8‐oxo‐2′‐deoxyguanosine, 8‐OHdG) and antioxidative defense (copper‐zinc superoxide dismutase, Cu‐Zn SOD). Linear regression models, adjusted for residence, were used to test for associations between reproductive effort and 8‐OHdG and Cu‐Zn SOD.ResultsUnivariate models demonstrated significant associations between gravidity and the biomarkers of oxidative stress (8‐OHdG: R2 = 0.042, P ...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020
It has been proposed that women’s physical attractiveness is a cue to temporal changes in fertili... more It has been proposed that women’s physical attractiveness is a cue to temporal changes in fertility. If this is the case, we should observe shifts in attractiveness during pregnancy—a unique physiological state of temporal infertility. The aim of this study was to examine how women’s facial attractiveness changes during the subsequent trimesters of pregnancy and how it compares to that of nonpregnant women. Sixty-six pictures of pregnant women (22 pictures per trimester) and 22 of nonpregnant women (a control group) were used to generate four composite portraits, which were subsequently assessed for facial attractiveness by 117 heterosexual men. The results show considerable differences between facial attractiveness ratings depending on the status and progress of pregnancy. Nonpregnant women were perceived as the most attractive, and the attractiveness scores of pregnant women decreased throughout the course of pregnancy. Our findings show that facial attractiveness can be influence...
Psychology & Sexuality, 2019
We present the results of the first study exploring whether perceptions of tattooed men may be in... more We present the results of the first study exploring whether perceptions of tattooed men may be influenced by sexual orientation. We asked heterosexual women (n = 2,436) and men (n = 230), and lesbian women (n = 50) and gay men (n = 60) to rate nine photos of male models with the provisos that at least one image had a digitally added tattoo and participants would not evaluate the same model in both tattooed and non-tattooed versions. Heterosexual men and women rated tattooed men as more masculine, dominant, and aggressive; however, only heterosexual men rated tattooed men as more attractive. While gay men perceived tattooed men as less attractive, more dominant, and more aggressive, no significant differences in perception were observed for lesbian women. We also explored whether sexual orientation moderated the relationship between attractiveness and tattooed men's perceived masculinity, dominance, and aggression. Perceived aggression was related to lower perceived attractiveness among gay men, but higher perceived attractiveness among heterosexual women. This study demonstrates that the perception of tattooed men's attractiveness is associated with the assessment of their masculinity, dominance, and aggression. These associations are influenced by both gender and sexual orientation of participants. Our results suggest that the sexual orientation of participants should be taken into account in studies investigating attractiveness perceptions.
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Papers by Anna Ziomkiewicz