Trends in Body Height, Body Weight, and Body Mass Index from 1979 to 1987: An Analysis of the Young Male Population from the Municipality of Cetinje

Abstract

This study aimed to consolidate body height, body weight, and body mass index data of the entire young male population from the Municipality of Cetinje in order to estimate trends from 1979 to 1987. The sample of respondents includes 2119 young males divided into nine groups: 183 respondents born in 1961, 361 respondents born in 1962, 300 respondents born in 1963, 162 respondents born in 1964, 155 respondents born in 1965, 258 respondents born in 1966, 218 respondents born in 1967, 234 respondents born in 1968, and 248 respondents born in 1969. The measurement sample includes body height, body weight, and body mass index calculated based on two previous measures. The descriptive statistics were expressed as a mean and standard deviation for each variable, while the analysis of nutrition status was done based on body mass index (underweight, normal weight, pre-obese, obese). The results showed that a secular trend in the observed study period is not visible regarding body height and body weight, while it is observable for the body mass index. Therefore, this study will contribute to complementing knowledge about changes in average body height values of young Montenegrins in the previous 120 years and in that way, more precisely monitor the emergence of a secular trend.

Trajectories in Body Height, Body Weight, BMI, and Nutrition Status From 1979 to 1987: A Measurement-Based Analysis of 15,717 Male Adolescents From the Capital City of Montenegro

“…This study finds that the average body weight of the citizens of Podgorica in the specified period was 68.49 ± 9.26 kg, while the body mass index was 21.79 ± 2.45 kg/m². However, as with body height, the same data have already been published from Niksic (Body Weight = 68.56 ± 8.66; BMI = 21.48 ± 2.27), Cetinje (Body Weight = 70.16 ± 9.17; BMI = 22.02 ± 2.58), and Bar (Body Weight = 68.33 ± 9.73; BMI = 22.06 ± 2.58), which significantly opens the way to answer research questions regarding body weight and body mass index, and is still not close to that answer (20)(21)(22). However, it is unfortunate that there are no studies that describe Montenegrins as is the case with the Dutch, which can be said that for each additional centimeter in body length, the average Dutchman has become 2.3 kg heavier between 1981 and 2018 (30), but there is hope that in Montenegro, too, all available data will become digitized and available very soon.…”

“…One of the most important steps in proving the above claim is the capital city, which is partially, perhaps the most important part for analysis, since 30% of the entire Montenegrin population lives in it today, while three other Montenegrin cities have been processed too, namely Cetinje, Niksic, and Bar (20)(21)(22). The results of the research in the first two mentioned cities, which together with Podgorica, make up the central region of Montenegro, can already be very interesting in interpreting the obtained results, while the results from other Montenegrin cities are expected shortly, since the work on the digitization of the entire national data remains in process.…”

“…For that reason, the research question again arises as to what influenced such a drastic change: migration, socio-economic factors, or something completely different? The results of some local studies from Niksic, where the citizens of this city were on average 178.58 cm tall in the 1980s ( 20 ), or 184.57 cm at the beginning of the 21st century ( 3 ), can aid in answering this question, Cetinje, where the citizens of this city, on average, were 178.38 cm tall in the 1980s ( 21 ), or 181.25 cm at the beginning of the 21st century ( 3 ) and Bar, where the citizens of this city were on average 175.82 cm tall in the 1980s ( 22 ), and 182.13 cm at the beginning of the 21st century in Bar and Ulcinj ( 3 ). On the hand, Dutch have grown by 6.50 cm in since 1981 ( 2 , 25 ), similarly like Montenegrins in this period of time, and make this research question more complex.…”

“…Each set of data that can be accessed within the Montenegrin population from the 20th century is beneficial for further public health investigations. Although several studies evaluate changes in body height and monitor underweight, overweight, or obesity problems in school children (not in adolescents), very few monitor average body weight and body mass index (BMI) changes for a longer period; such trend studies have only been emerging recently (20)(21)(22). However, they are limited to local samples and do not include a sufficient number of respondents to generalize the conclusions.…”

Trajectories of Body Height, Body Weight, BMI, and Nutrition Status from 1979 to 1987: A Measurement-Based Analysis of 8740 Montenegrin Male Adolescents from the Municipality of Berane

“…Several studies dealing with the evaluation of changes in body height in Montenegrin adults exist, as well as those that monitor underweight, overweight, or obesity problems in school children [11,19,20]. It is important to note that few local studies have recently emerged that observe average body weight and BMI changes for an extended period of time [21][22][23][24], but they are limited to local samples. In order for the data to be generalized, scientists should dispose of data on the entire population, which exist in government key registers.…”