No abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess changes in mean menarcheal age of girls in the city of Sibenik in the period from mid-1980s to the mid-1990s. Sibenik is a Dalmatian town which was exposed to hard war conditions in 1991-1995. Menarcheal status of Sibenik girls was surveyed three times, in 1981, 1985, and 1996, and included 720, 1,207, and 1,680 girls, respectively, ages 9.5-16.5 years. Mean menarcheal age was estimated by the status quo method and application of probit analysis. Results show a slight decrease in menarcheal age from 1981 to 1985 (from 12.97 +/- 0.06 years to 12.87 +/- 0.05), and then a significant increase from 12.87 +/- 0.05 years in 1985 to 13.13 +/- 0.10 years in 1996. The increase in mean menarcheal age occurred in all socioeconomic groups based on parental occupation and number of siblings. In the group of girls whose homes were damaged during war, menarche occurred at an average of 13.53 +/- 0.14 years, while those who lost a family member experienced menarche at an older mean age, 13.76 +/- 0.27 years. However, when the girls who experienced personal tragedies were excluded the onset of menarche was still later than in girls surveyed in the earlier periods. The results suggest that the general reversal in the secular trend of menarcheal age in Sibenik girls can be attributed to persistent psychological pressures and uncertainties associated with conditions of war. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 12:503-508, 2000. Copyright 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

This study focused on evaluating the impact of the adolescent growth spurt on the onset of idiopathic scoliosis. A total of 698 students (362 girls and 336 boys aged nine to 12 years) were followed for three years to study their growth in the pubertal period and changes in spinal status. Every six months measurements were taken of body height and the development of secondary gender characteristics was recorded. The onset of the adolescent growth spurt could thus be detected in each child. When children with and without scoliosis were compared, it became evident that scoliotic children grew faster. Girls whose scoliosis developed from a previously normal body posture showed a peak height velocity (PHV) of 8.1 cm per year, whereas girls with a normal body posture throughout the pubertal stage had a P H V of 7.1 cm per year. The most rapid growth spurt was observed in Stages 2 and 3 of breast and pubic hair development. Simultaneously, the most frequent spinal status changes occurred in Stages 2 and 3 of sexual maturity; they were twice as frequent as in Stage 1 and four times as frequent a s in Stages 4 and 5. Students in whom Reprint requests to

Secular changes in growth and development vary over past decades in intensity and in trend. The purpose of this paper is to present changes in growth patterns of Zagreb schoolchildren aged 7-19 years over the past four decades. Surveys were performed in 1951, 1964, 1973, 1982 and 1991. The mean height of boys and girls in all observed groups has increased significantly over the 40-year period. Age groups up to 9 years in 1991 were 4-7.5 cm taller than their coevals in 1951. Differences increased from the age of 10 in girls and 12 in boys, reaching 10 cm in girls of 12 years and even 14 cm in boys of 14 years. They were also highly pronounced in adult height (5 cm in girls, 7 cm in boys). The most pronounced changes appeared from 1951 to 1964, while in the period from 1964 to 1973 the increase was smaller; in girls only up to 13 years, in boys to 17 years. However, between 1973 and 1982 positive changes were again significantly pronounced, especially in the older age groups. In the last period, 1982-91, the trend seemed to come to an end. Changes in average weight mostly corresponded to the height changes, being somewhat greater in boys. Moreover, in the last two periods, weight gain in older girls was smaller compared to height. Menarche in the period 1964-73 shifted to a younger age by 8 months (13.34-12.67 years), retaining the same level over the next 9 years. However, since 1982 a slight reverse trend has been noticed.

The purpose of this paper is to present the changes in growth patterns in different socio-economic classes of Zagreb school children over the period 1973-1991. Classes are defined by parental occupation. Surveys were performed in 1973, 1982 and 1991 covering 8938, 10700, and 7400 examinees aged 7 to 19 respectively. In all three observed generations boys and girls belonging to social group I (nonmanual workers' families) were taller than their peers in group III (manual workers' families). Differences were most pronounced in 1973. Mean height of children from 'mixed' families (class II) were mostly between two other groups. Positive secular changes in both genders were most pronounced in children belonging to manual workers' families--girls observed in 1991 being 2-4cm and boys 2-6cm taller than their peers in 1973. In children from nonmanual workers' families the secular increase was small in younger age groups--in boys up to 11 hardly noticeable, while in both genders from the age of 13 on, the mean height increase reached or even surpassed that observed in manual workers' children. Positive changes in all observed groups were more pronounced in the period 1973-1982 than in 1982-1991. Mean weight changes, in general over period 1973-1991 corresponded to changes in height. However, the average weight gain in girls in class I was somewhat lower compared to the gain in height, particularly in older age groups. In the same period, 19731991 the mean menarcheal age in girls showed the reversed trend i.e. a shift towards the older age. In class I the reversal was noticed in the first period, parallel to intensive height increase, while in class III positive changes in height were accompanied by significant lowering of menarcheal age. In this group the reversal was observed in the second period 1982-1991.