Growth study in “Health and Human Ecology” : Its achievements and prospects

Abstract

This article aims to review original articles and symposium presentations about growth study in the field of “health and human ecology” and to consider its roles in the future. It was in 1932 that Dr Matsubayashi demonstrated indispensable role of growth study, especially longitudinal measurements, in his paper appeared in Vol. 2 No. 1 of the Society’s journal (the present-day Japanese Journal of Health and Human Ecology). In the early stages, the major targets were on retarded cases, but since the 1970s have been changed to overweight/obese cases, while continuously paying special attention to the ecological viewpoint. The symposium in the 72nd Society’s Meeting held in 2008 was titled “On child growth : its change and environmental effects”, which focused on the standard growth curves as the tool for assessing growth and health of individual children, interrelations among genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors, and the effects of infantile living conditions on psychophysical growth and development. Our growth studies are expected to contribute to healthy living of children with or without handicap, who live in various environments. Also expected are field studies in the Asia-Pacific region, based on our long-term research experience for Japanese children. In conclusion, growth studies should be further developed in the field of health and human ecology.