The height increments and BMI values of elite Central European children and youth in the second half of the 19th century.
BACKGROUND
Longitudinal height measurements on children and youth are very rare prior to the 20th century, as are BMI values.


OBJECTIVE
Growth increments and BMI values were determined among elite (select) Habsburg children and youth in the late 19th century and compared with other extant historical and contemporary data.


METHODS
Archival data on height and weight were collected for approximately 3500 students attending Habsburg Military schools. The students were measured once a year for 4 years. Because of the minimum height requirement, truncated regression was used in order to estimate height trends, but standard procedures were used to determine height increments and BMI values.


RESULTS
Heights increased at most 0.9-1.6 cm between the birth cohorts of circa 1870s and 1900. These future officers were about the same size as their counterparts in the USA and France, but smaller than those attending the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, England, who were taller and probably the tallest in the world at the time. Height increments were markedly smaller than those experienced by German students in the 18th century after age 15. Central European BMI values were above those obtained in the USA in the 19th century but well below modern values.


CONCLUSIONS
Although peak height velocity was experienced as early as ages 13 and 14, the height increments were very small compared even to other historical populations. The military academy selected mainly precocious applicants (with probably larger height increments at younger ages and smaller increments at older ages). BMI values in this sample were well below modern standards, but they were unexpectedly as high as those of contemporary US West Point cadets, a well nourished group. There were significant differences in the height of elites in Central Europe in the 19th century, pointing to substantial socio-economic inequality, but at least the elites were as well nourished as the US population.
Komlos
John
J
Institute of Economic History, University of Munich, Germany. john.komlos@gmx.de
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D005060:Europe; D049672:History, 19th Century; D006801:Humans; D009656:North America; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012923:Social Class