Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-jr42d Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-18T10:25:16.791Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Biosocial correlates of stature in a 16-year-old British cohort

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2008

Thomas R. Terrell  and
C. G. N. Mascie-Taylor
Thomas R. Terrell
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Anthropology, University of Cambridge
C. G. N. Mascie-Taylor
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Anthropology, University of Cambridge
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Analyses of the height variation of 16-year-old members of the British National Child Development Study revealed a number of biological and social variables which associated with stature. After multiple regression analyses only eight variables, namely social class, family size, tenure (owner occupied or one of several types of rented home), crowding status, number of children sleeping in the bed, region of the country, sex of child, and pubic hair rating, remained significant. The total variation explained by these biosocial variables was 37·5%.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 23 , Issue 4 , October 1991 , pp. 401 - 408
Copyright
Copyright © 1991, Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Belmont, L., Stein, Z. A. & Susser, M. W. (1975) Comparisons of associations of birth order with intelligence test score end height. Nature, Lond. 255, 54.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Butler, N. R. & Alberman, R. (Eds) (1969) Perinatal Mortality. Livingstone, Edinburgh.Google Scholar
Butler, N. R. & Bonham, D. C. (Eds) (1963) Perinatal Mortality. Livingstone, Edinburgh.Google Scholar
Christiansen, N., Mora, J. O., Herrera, M. & Guillermo, M. (1975) Family social characteristics related to physical growth of young children. Br. J. prev. soc. Med. 29, 121.Google ScholarPubMed
Davie, R., Butler, N. R. & Goldstein, H. (1972) From Birth to Seven: A Report of the National Child Developmenl Study. Longman, London.Google Scholar
Douglas, J. W. B. & Simpson, H. R. (1964) Height in relation to puberty, family size and social class. Millbank meml Fund Q. Bull. 42, 20.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Finklestein, J. W., Roffwarg, H. P., Boyer, R. M., Krean, J. & Hellman, L. (1972) Age related change in the 24-hour spontaneous secretion of growth hormone. J. clin. Endocr. Metab. 35, 665.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fogelman, K. (Ed.) (1983) Britain's Sixteen-Year-Olds. National Children's Bureau, London.Google Scholar
Golding, J. (1986) Cross-cultural correlates of ill-health in childhood. In: The Health and Development of Children. Edited by Miles, H. B. & Still, E.. Eugenics Society, London.Google Scholar
Goldstein, H. (1971) Factors influencing the height of seven-year-old children—results from the National Child Development Study. Hum. Biol. 43, 1.Google ScholarPubMed
Hermanussen, M., Hermanussen, B. & Burmeister, J. (1989) The association between birth order and adult stature. Ann. hum. Biol. 15, 161.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lasker, G. W. & Mascie-Taylor, C. G. N. (1989) Effects of social class differences and social mobility on growth in height, weight and body mass index in a British cohort. Ann. hum. Biol. 16, 1.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lindgren, G. (1976) Height, weight and menarche in Swedish urban children in relation to socioeconomic factors. Ann. hum. Biol. 3, 510.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mascie-Taylor, C. G. N. (1990) The biology of social class. In: Biosocial Aspects of Social Class. Edited by Mascie-Taylor, C. G. N.. Oxford University Press, Oxford.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mascie-Taylor, C. G. N. (1991) Biosocial influences on stature: a review. J. biosoc. Sci. 23, 113.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mascie-Taylor, C. G. N. & Boldsen, J. L. (1985) Regional and social analysis of height variation in a contemporary British sample. Ann. hum. Biol. 12, 315.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miller, F. J. W., Billewicz, W. Z. & Thomson, A. M. (1972) Growth from birth to adult life of 442 Newcastle-upon-Tyne children. Br. J. prev. soc. Med. 26, 224.Google ScholarPubMed
Neligan, G. A. & Prudham, D. (1976) Family factors affecting child development. Archs Dis. Childh. 51, 853.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Preece, M. A. (1985) Prepubertal and pubertal endocrinology. In: Human Growth, 2nd edn, Vol. 2. Edited by Falkner, J. & Tanner, J. M.. Plenum Press, London.Google Scholar
Preece, M. A. & Holder, A. T. (1982) The somatomedins: a family of serum growth factors. In: Recent Advances in Endocrinology and Metabolism, Vol. 2. Edited by O'Riordan, J. L. H.. Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh.Google Scholar
Tanner, J. M. (1962) Growth at Adolescence, 2nd edn.Blackwell Scientific, Oxford.Google Scholar
Topp, S. G., Cook, J., Holland, W. W. & Elliott, A. (1970) Influence of environmental factors on height and weight of school children. Br. J. prev. soc. Med. 24, 154.Google Scholar