Secular change in adult stature of modern Greeks.

Objectives: In Greece, during the late 19th and early 20th century, the rural population adopted a more or less urban lifestyle. Furthermore, the first half of the 20th century finds Greece involved in five major wars, including a civil war, and consequent financial deprivation. This study investigates how the socioeconomic changes in Greece, during this period of time, have affected the stature of its population.

Methods: The Athens collection constitutes our sample with 189 adult individuals (104 males and 85 females). Stature was estimated with regression equations and secular change was evaluated by linear regression of stature with respect to the year of birth. Further analysis of our population sample was based on three time periods to explore the correlation between secular change and historical events.

Results: From 1879 to 1965, stature increased for both males and females. The subsequent analysis among different periods revealed that the male group exhibited a small although non-significant decline in stature during the years 1912 to 1950, which coincides with the long inter-war period. However, females appear less affected by the consequent deprivation.

Conclusions: Our findings are consistent with earlier studies based on a much smaller time span. The negative effect of the economic and nutritional deprivation on stature as a result of warfare is apparent in our sample, at least for males. Furthermore, the positive effect of economic growth on stature is prominent for the entire population in the postwar period.