Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Trend Towards Earlier Physical Maturation

  • Chapter
Biological Aspects of Social Problems

Abstract

During the last fifty to a hundred years children have been maturing progressively earlier in Europe, North America, some parts of China, and Japan. The evidence for this statement comes from three sources:

  1. 1.

    Heights and weights of children at each year of age, taken usually in baby clinics or schools. These data are not decisive as evidence, since a tendency for children to become larger at each age could merely mean that adults were becoming proportionately larger also. There is additional evidence, however, that though adults have been getting larger, this is only to a much lesser degree.

  2. 2.

    The curves of rate of growth in height during adolescence of boys and girls followed individually or, failing this, of cross-sectionally studied groups of children, as in (1). At adolescence a spurt in growth occurs, giving a characteristic peak in longitudinal data. The age at which this peak occurs indicates a particular maturity point.

  3. 3.

    The age at menarche, or first menstrual period, in girls. The age of first appearance of pubic hair in boys is a less reliable index of maturity, and one that has been less studied.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Abramson, E. and Ernest, E. 1954. Height and weight of schoolboys at a Stockholm secondary school, 1950, and a comparison with some earlier investigations. Acta Paediat. (Uppsala) 43, 235.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Acheson, R. M. 1954. A method of assessing skeletal maturity from radiographs: a report from the Oxford Child Health Survey. J. Anal. (Lond.) 88, 498.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Acheson, R. M. 1960. Effects of nutrition and disease on human growth. In Human Growth, ed. J. M. Tanner. Symp. Soc. Study Hum. Biol. 3, 73.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Acheson, R. M. and Fowler, G. B. 1964. Sex, socio-economic status and secular increase in stature. Brit. J. prev. soc. Med. 18, 25–34.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Backman, G. 1938. Wachstumsdauer und Lebenslänge beim Menschen. Kungl. Fysiograf. Sallskap. Lund Förhandl. 8, No. 10.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Bojlen, K. W., Rasch, G. and Weis-Bentzon, M. 1954. The age incidence of the menarche in Copenhagen. Ada. obstet. gynec. scand. 33, 405.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Bottyán, O., Dezsö, Gy., Eiben, O., Farkas, Gy., Rajkai, T., Thoma, A. and Véli, Gy. 1963. Age at menarche in Hungarian girls. Ann. Hist.-Nat. Mus. Nat. Hung. Pars Anthropol. 55, 561.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Boyne, A. W. and Leitch, I. 1954. Secular change in the height of British Adults. Nutr. Abstr. Rev. 24, 255.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Broman, B., Dahlberg, G. and Lichtenstein, A. 1942. Height and weight during growth. Acta paediat. (Uppsala) 30, 1.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Brzeziňski, Z. 1959. Wysokosc i waga ciala chlopca w okresie dojrzewania. Roczn. Pzk. 10, 447.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Burgess, A. P. and Burgess, H. J. L. 1964. The growth pattern of East African schoolgirls. Hum. Rial. 36, 177.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Chang, K. S. F., Lee, M. M. C., Low, W. D. and Kvan, E. 1964. Height and weight of southern Chinese children. Amer. J. phys. Antkropol. N.S. 21, 497

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Clements, E. M. B. and Pickett, K. G. 1957. Stature and weight of men from England and Wales in 1941. Brit. J. prev. soc. Med. 11, 51.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Costanzo, A. 1948. La slatura degli italiani ventenni natti dai 1854 al 1920. Annali di Stalistica, Series 8, 2, 59.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Craig, J. O. 1963. The heights of Glasgow boys: secular and social influences. Hum. Biol. 35, 524.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Douglas, J. W. B. 1964. The Home and the School. London. Mac-Gibbon and Kee.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Durnin, J. V. G. A. and Weir, J. B. de V. 1952. Statures of a group of University students and of their parents. Brit. med. J. i, 1006.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Farkas, Gy. 1962. Az elsö havi veízés (menarche) ideje csongrad megyei leānyoknál. Antkropol. Kozlemenyek 6, 83.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Giles, A. E. 1901. The factors which lead to variations in the age of puberty and the clinical characters of menstruation. Med. Chron. 34. (1 of 4th series) 161; 254.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Hagen, W., Paschlau, G. and Paschlau, R. 1961. Wachstum und Gestalt. Stuttgart. Thieme.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Holmgren, I. 1952. The increase in the height of Swedish men and women from the middle of the nineteenth century up to 1930, and the changes in the height of the individual from the ages of 26 to 70. Based on measurements of 46,000 persons. Acta med. scand. 142, 367.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Hopkins, J. W. 1947. Height and weight of Ottawa elementary schoolchildren of two socio-economic strata. Hum. Biol. 19, 68.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Hultkrantz, —. 1927. Über die Zunahme der Körpergrösse in Schweden in den Jahren 1840–1926. Nov. Acta soc. Scient., Uppsala, Vol. extra-ord.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Kark, E. 1956. Puberty in South African girls: II, social class in relation to the menarche. S. Afr. J. Lab. clin. Med. 2, 84.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Karpinos, B. D. 1961. Current height and weight of youths of military age. Hum. Biol. 33, 335–354.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Kennedy, W. 1933. The menarche and menstrual type: notes on 10,000 case records. J. Obstet. Gynec. Brit. Emp. 40, 792–804.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Kherumian, R. and Schreider, E. 1963. Répartition départmentale de la stature, du poids et de la circonférence thoracíque en France métropolitaine. Biotypol. 24., 1.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Kill, V. 1939. Stature and growth of Norwegian men during the past 200 years. Skr. norske VidenskAkad. No. 6, 175.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Kimura, K. and Kitano, S. 1959. Growth of the Japanese physiques in four successive decades before World War II. Zinring. Zassi, 67, 37.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Knott, V. B. and Meredith, H. V. 1963. Body size of United States schoolboys at ages from 11 years to 15 years. Hum. Biol. 35, 507.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Kopczyňska, J. and Brzeziňski, Z. 1961. Rozwoj somatyczny dzieci Warszawakich na podstawie pomiarów wykonanych w 1958 r. Roczn. panst. szkl. higien. 12, 1.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Kurth, G. 1955. Zwei nebeneinander wirksame Falttoren in der schwedischen Körperhöhenzunahme seit 1840. Acta med. scand. 153, 159.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Lee, M. M. C., Chang, K. S. F. and Chan, M. M. C. 1963. Sexual maturation of Chinese girls in Hong Kong. Pediatrics 32, 389.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Lenz, W. 1959. Ursachen des gesteigerten Wachstums der heutigen Jugend. Wissen. Veröff. deut. Gesellsch. Ernäh. 4, 1.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Lenz, W. and Ort, B. W. 1959. Das Wachstum von Hamburger Schülern in den Jahren 1877 und 1957. Medizinische 47, 2265.

    Google Scholar 

  36. McCance, R. A. 1962. Food, growth and time. Lancet ii, 621; 671.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. McKeown, T. and Record, R. G. 1962. Reasons for the decline of mortality in England and Wales during the nineteenth century. Population Stud. 16, 94.

    Google Scholar 

  38. Mange, A. P. 1964. Growth and inbreeding of a human isolate. Hum. Biol. 36, 104.

    Google Scholar 

  39. Meredith, H. V. 1941a. Stature and weight of children of the United States. With reference to the influence of racial, regional socio-economic and secular factors. Amer. J. Dis. Child. 62, 909.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Meredith, H. V. 1941b. Stature and weight of private school children in two successive decades. Amer. J. phys. Anthrop. 28, 1.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Meredith, H. V. and Meredith, E. M. 1944. The stature of Toronto children half a century ago and to-day. Hum. Biol. 16, 126.

    Google Scholar 

  42. Meredith, H. V. and Meredith, E. M. 1953. The body size and form of present-day white elementary schoolchildren residing in West-Central Oregon. Child Developm. 24, 83.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Meredith, H. V. and Knott, V. B. 1962a. Descriptive and comparative study of body size on United States schoolgirls. Growth 26, 283.

    Google Scholar 

  44. Meredith, H. V. and Knott, V. B. 1962b. Illness history and physical growth III. Comparative anatomic status and rate of change for schoolchildren in different long-term health categories. Amer. J. Dis. Child. 103, 146.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. Meyers, E. S. A. 1956. Height-weight survey of New South Wales schoolchildren. Med. J. Aust. 1, 435.

    Google Scholar 

  46. Michelson, N. 1944. Studies in physical development of Negroes. IV. Onset of puberty. Amer. J. phys. Anthrop. N.S.2, 151.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  47. Milicer, H. 1962. Investigations on the physical development of youth. In Physical Education in School. Ed. W. Missiuro and J. Sadowska. Warsaw. Inst. Physical Culture.

    Google Scholar 

  48. Mills, C. A. 1937. Geographic and time variations in body growth and age at menarche. Hum. Biol. 9., 43.

    Google Scholar 

  49. Morant, G. M. 1950. Secular changes in the heights of British people. Proc. Roy. Soc. B. 137, 443.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  50. Morris, J.N. 1959. Health and social class. Lancet i, 303.

    Google Scholar 

  51. Morris, J. N. and Heady, J. A. 1955. Social and biological factors in infant mortality. V. Mortality in relation to father’s occupation. Lancet i, 554.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  52. Murphy, E. W. 1844. A report of the obstetric practice of University College Hospital, London. Dublin J. med. Sci. 26, 177.

    Google Scholar 

  53. New Zealand Government. 1956. A preliminary report on the 1954 survey of heights and weights of New Zealand primary schoolchildren. Part. Paper H.31, 22.

    Google Scholar 

  54. Nisbet, J. D. and Illesly, R. I. 1963. The influence of early puberty on test performance at age eleven. Brit. J. educ. Psychol. 33, 169.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  55. Oppers, V. M. 1963. Analyse van de acceleratie van de menselijke lengtregroei door bepaling van het tijdstip van de groedifasen. Amsterdam: Thesis.

    Google Scholar 

  56. Prader, A., Tanner, J. M. and von Harnack, G. A. 1963. Catch-up growth following illness or starvation. J. Pediat. 62, 646.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  57. Prokopec, M. and Kapalin, V. 1958. Anthropometrie a školm hygiena. Przeglad antropol. 24, 171.

    Google Scholar 

  58. Quarinonius, Hippolitus. 1610. Die Grewel der Verwürs lung menschlichen Geschlechts. Innsbruck.

    Google Scholar 

  59. Rigden, W. 1869. On the age at which menstruation commences. Trans. obstet. Soc. Land. 11, 243.

    Google Scholar 

  60. Routil, R. 1953. Über die körperliche Entwicklung von Schulkindern (An Karntner Landkindern erhobene Daten und deren Beurteilung) . Öst. Z. Kinderheilk 8, 377.

    Google Scholar 

  61. Rusbach, H.W., Van Laar, F. and de Haas, J.H. 1961. Menarcheleeftijd. Verglijkung van status-quo- en navraag methode. Tijdsche. soc. Geneesk. 38, 411.

    Google Scholar 

  62. Sauvy, A. 1961. Fertility and Survival. London. Chatto and Windus.

    Google Scholar 

  63. Scott, J. A. 1961. Report on the heights and weights (and other measurements) of school pupils in the county of London in 1959. London County Council.

    Google Scholar 

  64. Sundal, A. 1957. The norms for height (length) and weight in healthy Norwegian children from birth to 15 years of age. Univ. Bergen ärbok. Med. rekka. No. 1.

    Google Scholar 

  65. Takkunen, R. L. 1962. Anthropometric studies on Finnish children. Ann. Paediat. Fenn. 8. Suppl. No. 19.

    Google Scholar 

  66. Tanner, J. M. 1961. Education and Physical Growth. London. University of London Press.

    Google Scholar 

  67. Tanner, J. M. 1962. Growlk at Adolescence (2nd edition). Oxford. Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  68. Tanner, J. M. and O’Keefe, B. 1962. Age at menarche in Nigerian schoolgirls, with a note on their heights and weights from age twelve to nineteen. Hum. Biol. 34, 187–196.

    Google Scholar 

  69. Thomson, A. M. 1959. Maternal stature and reproductive efficiency. Eugen. Rev. 51, 157.

    Google Scholar 

  70. Tobias, P. 1962. On the increasing stature of the Bushmen. Anthropos. 57, 801.

    Google Scholar 

  71. Tremolières, J. and Boulanger, J. J. 1950. Contribution à l’étude du phénomène de croissance et de stature en France de 1940 à 1948. Rec. Trav. Inst. nat. Hyg. 4, 117.

    Google Scholar 

  72. Valšik, J. A., Štukovsky, R. and Bernátova, L. 1963. Quelques facteurs géographiques et sociaux ayant une influence sur l’âge de la puberté. Biotypol. 24, 109–123.

    Google Scholar 

  73. Weir, J. B. de V. 1952. The assessment of the growth of schoolchildren with special reference to secular changes. Brit. J. Nutr. 6, 19.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  74. Whitehead, J. 1847. On the causes and treatment of abortion and sterility. London: Churchill. Manchester: Simms & Dinham.

    Google Scholar 

  75. Wolanski, N. 1958. Vȳška téla polských hochů v posledním půlstoletti. Zprav. Anthropal. Společnosh, 11, 1.

    Google Scholar 

  76. Wurst, F., Wassertheurer, H. and Kineswencen, K. 1961. Entwicklung und Umwelt des Landkindes. Wien, Österreichischer Bundesverlag.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Growth and Development, Institute of Child Health, University of London, UK

    J. M. Tanner

Authors
  1. J. M. Tanner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Cambridge, UK

    J. E. Meade C.B., M.A., F.B.A. (Professor of Political Economy) & A. S. Parkes C.B.E, M.A., SC.D., F.R.S. (Mary Marshal Professor of the Physiology of Reproduction) (Professor of Political Economy) &  (Mary Marshal Professor of the Physiology of Reproduction)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1965 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Tanner, J.M. (1965). The Trend Towards Earlier Physical Maturation. In: Meade, J.E., Parkes, A.S. (eds) Biological Aspects of Social Problems. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-6580-6_4

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-6580-6_4

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4899-6268-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4899-6580-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation