Secular Changes in Height, Body Weight, Body Mass Index and Pubertal Development in Male Children and Adolescents in Krakow, Poland

Abstract

This study examined the secular changes in height, body weight, body mass index and pubertal development in male children and adolescents in Krakow (Poland) over the past 80 years, with an emphasis on the last decade (2000-2010). The survey of the population of Krakow is a continuation of observations conducted in that area for many years. The analysis aims to determine whether in the last decade Krakow still witnessed the secular trend, and what form the trend took. The body height and weight, and body mass index (BMI), of 1862 boys aged 3.5-18.5 years were analysed, against the background of a survey series from the years 1938 (N = 1801), 1971 (N = 2045), 1983 (N = 3124) and 2000 (N = 2328). The mean body height, in almost all age categories, was greater than in the past; however the final height over the last decade remained the same. The mean values of body weight and BMI increased, especially in the last decade. Also, an acceleration of puberty in boys was observed. The last 10 years saw an over 3-month decrease in the age of initial appearance of pubic hair in boys. In conclusion, the last decade saw cessation of the growing taller trend: maximum body height stabilized at approximately 179 cm, but weight and BMI increased. Also, a distinct acceleration of puberty was noticed. Lack of height increase, at the same time as weight gain and puberty acceleration, indicate a progressing developmental disharmony.

Age at spermarche: 15‐year trend and its association with body mass index in Chinese school‐aged boys

“…Also, this declining trend is similar with the male puberty development in other countries, but the pace is faster. One study in Poland reported an over 3-month decrease between 2000 and 2010 in the age of initial appearance of pubic hair in boys (12). Another study in Thailand showed that the age at testicular enlargement Tanner exposures, which may be related to the trend of earlier pubertal onset (26)(27).…”

“…The sampling procedure, as previously described in detail (18)(19), was the same at all CNSSCH time points. The participants were primary and high school boys aged [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] years from the same areas in each province. All subjects were selected by stratified cluster sampling, in that sampling took place in classes randomly selected from each grade in the selected school.…”

Nutritional status of children and youth in Poland on basis of literature from last ten years (2005–2015)

“…[51] oraz Krysta i wsp. [52]. Chrzanowska i Suder [49] Legenda do 100 osób -żółty; 100-500 osób -niebieski; 500-1000 osób -zielony; 1000-5000 osób -czerwony; pow.…”

“…Analogiczne badania zostały przeprowadzone przez Krysta i wsp. [52] wśród krakowskich dzieci i młodzieży płci męskiej (1862 chłopców w wieku 3,5-18,5 roku), które dowiodły, że w ciągu ostatnich 80 lat, a zwłasz-cza w ostatniej dekadzie (2000-2010), nastąpił wzrost średniej masy ciała i BMI przy braku wzrostu wysokości ciała. Ponadto, zaobserwowano przyśpieszone dojrzewanie chłopców.…”

Is the secular trend in height delaying overweight rise among adolescents? The Brazilian case

“…Previous studies suggest that improvement in socioeconomic status, change in diet and nutrition, and considerable medical developments, which translate into better medical care and better hygienic and sanitary conditions (14) , constitute an important cause of secular changes (15) . Positive correlations between BMI and height have been described before (2) .…”