The secular shift between 1974 and 1986 in the menarcheal age of Patiala schoolgirls has been explored. A total of 946 girls of higher and lower social classes (type of school being the criterion) were surveyed, out of which 421 were menstruating at the time of investigations. The median ages at menarche (by probits) of higher social class girls were 12.90 +/- 0.64 years in 1974 and 12.54 +/- 0.13 years in 1986, and of lower social class girls 14.40 +/- 0.47 years in 1974 and 13.65 +/- 0.18 years in 1986. The secular shift per decade in higher and lower social class girls is 0.30 years and 0.63 years, respectively. The social class differences during this period in menarcheal age have decreased.

The present study is an effort to explore the effect of high altitude on the physical growth of Spitian children. The present cross sectional study has been conducted on Spitian boys, ranging in age from 5 to 20 years. Anthropometric data was collected on 636 subjects during 1996-1998 from various areas of Spiti valley by PPS. The altitudes of these areas range between 3500 -4200 metres above mean-sea-level. The adolescent spurt in case of Spitian boys occurs at 15-16 years of age in weight and 13-14 years in height whereas the peak adolescent gain in chest circumference is even later and takes place at 17-18 years. It can be concluded from the above results that the adolescent spurt is delayed in Spitian boys. The proportionally greater chest cage size has emerged as the most important morphological characteristic in various studies. This seems to be an adaptation to low partial pressure of oxygen. A very late adolescent spurt in chest circumference might be giving an edge to the high altitude populations to keep on adding to the final adult dimensions by way of extending the growth period.

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