Political Influence Associates with Cortisol and Health Among Egalitarian Forager-Farmers

von Rueden, C. et al. 2014. Political influence associates with cortisol and health among egalitarian forager-farmers. Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health. doi: 10.1093/emph/eou021

38 Pages Posted: 22 Sep 2014

See all articles by Christopher von Rueden

Christopher von Rueden

Jepson School of Leadership Studies, University of Richmond

Benjamin Trumble

University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB)

Melissa Emery Thompson

University of New Mexico - Department of Anthropology

Jonathan Stieglitz

Independent

Paul L. Hooper

Santa Fe Institute

Aaron Blackwell

University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB)

Hillard S. Kaplan

University of New Mexico - Program in Interdisciplinary

Michael Gurven

Independent

Date Written: September 11, 2014

Abstract

Background and objectives: Low social status increases risk of disease due, in part, to the psychosocial stress that accompanies feeling subordinate or poor. Previous studies report that chronic stress and chronically elevated cortisol can impair cardiovascular and immune function. We test whether lower status is more benign in small-scale, relatively egalitarian societies, where leaders lack coercive authority and there is minimal material wealth to contest.

Methodology: Among Tsimane' forager-horticulturalists of lowland Bolivia, we compare informal political influence among men with urinary cortisol, immune activation (innate and acquired), and morbidity as assessed during routine medical exams.

Results: After controlling for potential confounds, we find that politically influential men have lower cortisol, and that this association is partly attributable to access to social support. Cortisol is positively associated with men's income, which may reflect chronic psychosocial stress from market involvement. Greater influence is also associated with lower probability of respiratory infection, which is a frequent source of morbidity among Tsimane'. Among men who lost influence over a four-year period, cortisol and probability of respiratory infection were higher the greater the decline in influence.

Conclusions and implications: Deleterious effects of low status on health are not merely "diseases of civilization" but may result from how (even subtle) status differences structure human behavior.

Keywords: hierarchy, status, cooperation, stress, cortisol

JEL Classification: I12

Suggested Citation

von Rueden, Christopher and Trumble, Benjamin and Emery Thompson, Melissa and Stieglitz, Jonathan and Hooper, Paul L. and Blackwell, Aaron and Kaplan, Hillard S. and Gurven, Michael, Political Influence Associates with Cortisol and Health Among Egalitarian Forager-Farmers (September 11, 2014). von Rueden, C. et al. 2014. Political influence associates with cortisol and health among egalitarian forager-farmers. Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health. doi: 10.1093/emph/eou021, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2499252

Christopher Von Rueden (Contact Author)

Jepson School of Leadership Studies, University of Richmond ( email )

28 Westhampton Way
Richmond, VA 23173
United States

HOME PAGE: http://https://sites.google.com/site/chrisvonrueden/home

Benjamin Trumble

University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) ( email )

South Hall 5504
Santa Barbara, CA 93106
United States

Melissa Emery Thompson

University of New Mexico - Department of Anthropology ( email )

MSC01-1040, Anthropology 1
Albuquerque, NM 87131
United States

Jonathan Stieglitz

Independent ( email )

Paul L. Hooper

Santa Fe Institute ( email )

1399 Hyde Park Road
Santa Fe, NM 87501
United States

Aaron Blackwell

University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) ( email )

South Hall 5504
Santa Barbara, CA 93106
United States

Hillard S. Kaplan

University of New Mexico - Program in Interdisciplinary ( email )

107 Humanitites Building
Albuquerque, NM 87131-1221
United States

HOME PAGE: http://pibbs.unm.edu/

Michael Gurven

Independent ( email )

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