Moscow University
Anthropology
Bulletin
Anthropology
Bulletin
1) Department of Anthropology, University School of Physical Education, Kraków, Poland; 2) Department of Anthropology and Biometry, University School of Physical Education, Poznań, Poland
Kryst Łukasz, e-mail: lkryst@poczta.onet.pl.
Long-term changes in morphological characteristics of population, progressing from generation to generation towards constant direction, reflect the secular trend. These changes apply to both birth and adult body size of a human and they are observed over the century. Responsible for this variability are mostly non-genetic factors, mainly those related to the socio-economic situation. Such elements of the human environment determine the implementation of the genetic potential. The aim of the study was to determine the existence of intergenerational changes in newborns’ body weight and adult body size of women living in Kraków and Poznań over the past century. Finally the goal of this study was to defining factors responsible for these modifications. This research analyzed data of 15884 newborns (body weight) and 3612 women (body height and weight) at the age of 18, derived from 1900 to 2010. The analysis of differences between individual cohorts was made by means of one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey test. Despite short-term fluctuations, the results showed significantly increasing trends of all studied features. Changes in birth weight were similar in both cities - in Kraków increased by 184 g (♂) and 206 g (♀), in Poznań by 216 g (♂) and 120 g (♀). Changes in women’s body size were also significant, but the level was different depending on the place of residence. In the last century, women’s body height increased by 8,2 cm in Kraków and by 10,2 cm in Poznań and their body weight increased by 1 kg and 5 kg respectively. Considered period of time covered the years of socio-economic changes which occurred as a result of the political system transformation. Crises, prosperity ages and other factors which determine the standard of living and health care had an influence on the developmental level of the Polish population’s physical features.
secular trend, newborns, body size, socio-economic changes, political transformation
Цит.: Kryst Łukasz, Bilińska Inez SECULAR CHANGES OF THE NEWBORNS’ BODY WEIGHT AND WOMEN’S BODY SIZE IN KRAKÓW AND POZNAŃ (POLAND) DURING LAST CENTURY // Moscow University Anthropology Bulletin (Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Seria XXIII. Antropologia), 2014; 3/2014; с. 55-55
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