Findings from Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America on secular change in mean height of children, youths, and young adults

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Abstract
Studies during the past century in Australia, Canada, Japan, Norway and the USA indicate that the magnitude of secular increase in mean height rose with advancing age from childhood to mid-adolescence. Comparisons for a period approximating 2/3 of a century yield average increases in mean height of 12.2 cm for female youths age 12 yr, and 12.5 cm for male youths age 14 yr; for the same calendar span, the amount of secular increase in mean height declines from mid-adolescence to early adulthood. Comparisons of Belgian females, spanning a period approximating 130 yr, yield increases in mean height of 18.1 cm at age 12 yr, 11.9 cm at age 16 yr and 3.7 cm in early adulthood. For a period of 90 yr, increases obtained on USA white males are 14.8 cm at age 14 yr, 8.8 cm at age 17 yr and 5.3 cm in early adulthood. The search for causes of secular change should take particular account of a phenomenon widespread among human populations, i.e., the phenomenon of childhood and early adolescent growth in body height proceeding at a faster pace in recent decades than about a century ago.

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