A cross-sectional study of 212 adult (>18 years) male slum dwellers (mean age=34·6±14·4 years) of Midnapore town, West Bengal, India, was undertaken to study the inter-relationships of chronic energy deficiency (CED), monthly family income (MFI), self-reported morbidity and hospitalization due to severe illness. The mean height, weight and body mass index (BMI) of the subjects were 160·0 cm, 50·8 kg and 19·9 kg/m2, respectively. The overall frequencies of CED (BMI<18·5 kg/m2), morbidity and hospitalization were 38·2%, 34·4% and 13·7%, respectively. Based on the WHO classification, the prevalence of CED among this population was high (20–39%), indicating a serious situation. Overall, MFI was significantly (p<0·01) positively correlated with BMI (r=0·21). Linear regression analyses showed that MFI had a significant impact (t=3·08; p<0·002) on BMI. Overall, MFI explained 3·9% variation in BMI. Subjects belonging to the lowest family income group (FIG I) had the lowest mean BMI (19·1 kg/m2) and the highest rate of CED (46·3%) and morbidity (36·6%). Those in the highest family income group (FIG III) had the largest mean BMI (20·8 kg/m2) and lowest rate of CED (30·2%) and morbidity (30·2%). The highest rate (18·9%) of hospitalization was found in this group. There were significant family income group differences in mean BMI (F=3·134, p<0·05). The frequency of morbidity (24·6%) and hospitalization (11·9%) was lowest among normal BMI individuals. Morbidity was significantly higher (χ2=11·92, p=0·0026) among CED (48·2%) subjects compared with normal BMI individuals (OR=2·85; CI=1·49–5·46). Similarly, compared with normal BMI subjects, morbidity was higher (38·5%; OR=1·92; 95% CI=0·50–7·18) among overweight subjects. Hospitalization was more common among CED subjects (16·1%; OR=1·42; CI=0·58–3·45) compared with normal BMI subjects. Similarly, the frequency of hospitalization was more among overweight individuals (15·4%; OR=1·35; 95% CI=0·0–7·59). In conclusion, this study provides evidence that the frequency of CED among this population is high, indicating a serious situation. Moreover there exists strong inter-relationships between BMI, CED, MFI and morbidity.

A number of studies have found that Ashkenazi Jews in the United States have a high average IQ. It has been proposed by Cochran, Hardy and Harpending (2006) that this can be explained by the occupational constraints imposed on the Ashkenazi for many centuries in Europe, when they were largely confined to money-lending. They propose that this selected for the high verbal and mathematical intelligence that has several times been found in American Ashkenazim. The current study investigates how far this theory holds for European and Oriental Jews in Israel. A review of studies shows that Oriental Jews in Israel have an average IQ 14 points lower than that of European (largely Ashkenazi) Jews. It is proposed that this difference can be explained in terms of the Cochran, Hardy and Harpending theory because Oriental Jews were permitted to engage in a much wider range of occupations and hence did not come under the selection pressure to develop the high verbal and mathematical intelligence that was present for Ashkenazim.

The aim of this study was to determine the degree to which socioeconomic status is a risk factor for first birth at age 19 or younger in married women in an urban area of Turkey. The research was a population-based case-control study. The study group comprised all married and pregnant women aged 15–19 (adolescent pregnancies) attending primary care centres (144 subjects). Married women between 20 and 29 years of age, experiencing their first pregnancy (adult pregnancies), were determined as the control group (144 subjects). A questionnaire was completed for each subject during face-to-face interviews. Adolescent pregnancy was more frequent in women from families with a low socioeconomic status, as determined by occupation (class) and income; both were associated with adolescent pregnancy. Multiple logistic regression analysis identified seven factors associated with adolescent pregnancy: exposure to violence within the family prior to marriage; families partially opposed or unopposed to adolescent marriage; secondary school or lower education level; lack of social security; living in houses in which the number of persons per room was over 1; unemployed women; and having sisters with a history of adolescent pregnancy.

Paul Cameron, author of ‘Children of Homosexuals and Transsexuals More Apt to be Homosexual’ (Cameron, 2006) is chairman of the Family Research Institute (FRI), a conservative organization whose mandate is to preserve ‘America’s historic moral framework and the traditional family’ (http://www.familyresearchinst.org/; accessed 18th June 2006). The FRI states that research in scientific journals is needed to prove that ‘homosexuality is a public health threat and a clear and present danger to our civilization’ (http://www.familyresearchinst.org/Default.aspx?tabid = 145; accessed 18th June 2006).

Accuracy is the most important aspect of empiricism. If investigators are clear about their method and employ it to generate ‘facts,’ their opinions are irrelevant. So it is of some significance that Morrison, who spends more than one-third of his paper attacking my motives — indeed accusing me of ‘hatred of gay men and lesbian women’ — does not dispute my findings. Strip away the ad hominem attacks and little remains.

Consanguineous marriage has had considerable attention as a causative factor in the prevalence of genetic disorders. Iran, with its majority Muslim population, has a high rate of consanguineous marriage. In Iranian tradition, first cousin marriage is an acceptable and appreciated custom. However, there seems to be no encouragement of consanguineous marriage in the Islamic context; it is merely mentioned as a traditional and common custom. This paper may help medical professionals providing premarital genetic counselling, who are regularly asked about consanguineous marriage, especially in Islamic communities. Increased public awareness via the mass media would seem to be a priority.

Page 782, line 4–5, should read:

The mean age of the subjects was 34·6 years (SD=14·4 years).

Page 783, lines 21–27, should read:

There were significant differences (F=6·101; p=0·00266) between BMI categories in mean years of schooling (results not presented). Persons with CED had the least amount of schooling (mean 2·6 years), whereas overweight individuals had the most (7·37 years), with normal BMI subjects having an intermediate amount of schooling (mean 5·6 years). Similarly, FIG I subjects had significantly (F=4·675; p<0·05) lower mean years of schooling (2·9 years) compared with FIG III individuals (5·6 years).

The superiority of men over women in chess has been cited as evidence that there are fundamental differences in male and female intelligence (Howard, 2005a, 2006; Irwing & Lynn, 2005). An alternative interpretation of the difference is that it is due to differential male and female participation rates in chess (Charness & Gerchak, 1996; Bilalić & McLeod, 2006; Chabris & Glickman, in press). This has been dismissed by Howard (2006) on the grounds that changes in the difference in skill level between top male and female players in recent years are not correlated with changing relative participation rates. Here it is shown that Howard’s analysis is misleading. The data are consistent with differential participation rates as the explanation of the gap between the performance of women and men in chess.