title: A six decades long follow-up on body size in adolescents from Zagreb, Croatia (1951-2010).
abstract: Most studies analysing the influence of socioeconomic deterioration on body size focus on the impact of food shortages and diseases on the growth in early childhood. To evaluate how socioeconomic conditions influence the growth during the adolescence, we tracked the body size of 15-19 year-olds over the last sixty years covering the socialist period (1951-1990), the war (1991-1995) and the transition to capitalistic economy. This study of Zagreb, Croatia, adolescent population provides information on the secular trend in height, weight and Body Mass Index (BMI) and examines their relation with Real Gross Domestic Product. From 1951 to 2010 the girls' height approximately increased by 6.2cm and weight by 6.8kg, while the boys' height increased by 12.2cm and weight by 17.3kg. Prior to 1991 mean BMI in girls was higher than in boys, but from 1991 on, the interrelation between the sexes has been opposite, possibly mirroring the cultural trends that started in mid-1970s and reflecting higher sensitivity of boys to the socioeconomic changes. In conclusion, the secular trend in body size over the investigated period reflects the positive economic trends interrupted by the war. The recent increase in BMI corresponds to the country's economic recovery and indicates the "nutrition transition".
authors.affiliation: Institute for Anthropological Research, Gajeva 32, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Matea
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zajc Petranović
authors.affiliation: Institute for Anthropological Research, Gajeva 32, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Željka
authors.initials: Ž
authors.lastname: Tomas
authors.affiliation: Institute for Anthropological Research, Gajeva 32, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Smolej Narančić
authors.affiliation: Institute for Anthropological Research, Gajeva 32, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia. Electronic address: tatjana.skaric-juric@inantro.hr.
authors.forename: Tatjana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Škarić-Jurić
authors.affiliation: Institute of Public Health, Mirogojska 16, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Veček
authors.affiliation: Institute for Anthropological Research, Gajeva 32, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Jasna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Miličić
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001837:Body Weights and Measures / Q000639:trends*; D017523:Croatia; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D059066:Gross Domestic Product; D006803:Human Development; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Body Mass Index; Gross Domestic Product; Height; Secular trend; Weight