Small, yet steady secular gain in height and weight of school children in the city of Sendai in past 15 years.

Abstract

Secular changes in height and weight of primary (6th year grade) and junior high (3rd year grade) school children in the city of Sendai during the period of 1973 to 1987 were analyzed in comparison with the counterpart changes in Miyagi prefecture and all Japan. The regression analysis revealed that there was a linear relationship between the year of examination and the measures of height and weight both in boys and girls of primary and junior high schools. The secular gain was very steady, but the annual gain was small, i.e., about one third to one sixth of the counterpart value in 1960-1964 when the secular gain was the largest. Such reduction in secular gain is apparently common throughout the country. Rohrer's and Quetlet's indices stayed essentially unchanged throughout the 15 year study period among the school children in Sendai, in Miyagi and in Japan.