Influences of Various Environmental Factors and the Body Structure on the Length of Life

Abstract

The length of human life is known to be influenced by various environmental and hereditary factors. The relations between the length of life and the quality of food, the body structure of school children, and cultural environment were investigated by comparing these factors in the southern Izu Peninsula of Shizuoka Prefecture where many long-lived people are known, with those in the northern mountainous district where the long-lived people are rare. The following results have been obtained.1) The birth rate, death rate and infantile death rate were lower, and other environmental conditions were better in the longevity district than in the short-life area.2) The longevity was found most frequenty in the fishing villages, followed with agricultural villages. The short life was mostly found in the mountainous villages, while it was scarce in the fishing and agricultural villages.3) The length of life was found to be directly proportional to the rice-farming area, especially to the amount of rice and wheat crop.4) School children and students in the longevity district showed better physical build than those in the short life area, with higher height, slightly larger body weight and wider chest. This tendency was especially marked amohg students of junior high schools.