Height, weight, and growth of Alaskan Eskimos.

Abstract

ADULT Eskimos are usually short in stature and slightly heavier for their height than whites. 1,2 The small height of this population could be attributed to racial and genetic factors, which may or may not be influenced in an adaptive way to environment, or it might result from the depression of growth by environmental influences such as inadequate nutrition or prevalence of acute or chronic infection. To assess these possible influences, we have studied the growth of Eskimo children to determine at what stages in development the deviation in size from a white population occurs. Methods The data on height and weight presented here were obtained as collateral information during other studies. A summary of the population characteristics and methods of measurement used is shown in Table 1. For children 0 to 3 years old, serial measurements were made on a group of 643 infants born in a 24-month interval