Hermanussen M, Aßmann C, Groth D, Staub K
Aschauhof 3, Altenhof, Germany; University of Bamberg, Germany; 3University of Potsdam, Germany; 4University of Zürich, Switzerland.
Georgian Med News. 2014 May(230):30-4.
Height varies with age, and it varies with historic time. Final height is determined by endocrine parameters and genetics, by nutrition and health, by environmental factors, by birth weight, early growth, BMI, and developmental tempo. European populations of the 19th century were short, but their shortness did not result from growth impairment at all ages. In those days, shortness was mainly due to a significantly blunted adolescent growth spurt. New modelling approaches suggest an independent regulation of adolescent growth and final height: the target for growth and final height appears to be set by the community. In order to test this hypothesis, we formed a geographic network of Switzerland consisting of 169 nodes (district capitals) and 335 connecting edges (roads), and investigated military conscript data obtained between 2004 and 2009. Average height of Swiss military conscripts was 178.2 cm (SD 6.5 cm). But conscripts from first order neighbouring districts were more similar in height than expected. Short stature districts have short, tall stature districts have tall neighbours. We found significant height correlations between 1st (r=0.58), 2nd (r=0.64), 3rd (r=0.45) and even 4th order neighbours (r=0.42). It appears that tall stature communities generate tall people, short stature communities generate short people, and migrants orientate towards the new height target of their host population (community effect on growth).
身高随年龄变化，也随历史时期而变化。最终身高由内分泌参数和基因决定，也受营养与健康状况、环境因素、出生体重、早期生长情况、体重指数以及发育节奏的影响。19世纪的欧洲人群身材较矮，但他们身材矮小并非在所有年龄段都源于生长受损。在那个时期，身材矮小主要是由于青春期生长突增显著减弱。新的建模方法表明青春期生长和最终身高存在独立调节机制：生长和最终身高的目标似乎是由群体设定的。为了验证这一假设，我们构建了一个瑞士地理网络，由169个节点（地区首府）和335条连接边（道路）组成，并研究了2004年至2009年期间获得的义务兵数据。瑞士义务兵的平均身高为178.2厘米（标准差6.5厘米）。但来自一级相邻地区的义务兵在身高上比预期的更为相似。身材矮小的地区有身材矮小的邻居，身材高大的地区有身材高大的邻居。我们发现一级（r = 0.58）、二级（r = 0.64）、三级（r = 0.45）甚至四级相邻地区之间都存在显著的身高相关性（r = 0.42）。似乎身材高大的群体产生身材高大的人，身材矮小的群体产生身材矮小的人，而移民会朝着其所在宿主群体（群体对生长的影响）的新身高目标发展。
