Spatiotemporal variations in mean height of 17-year-old students born in 1957–2002 across 47 Japanese prefectures: Evidence from School Health Surveys

Abstract

This paper examines the secular trends and variations in mean height of 17-year-old students born in 1957–2002 across 47 prefectures in Japan. Mean height is consistently lower in southwest prefectures and greater in prefectures in the Greater Tokyo Area and from the south-central area to the north-western area facing Eurasia in the main island. Both the range and the coefficient of variation stay constant in the cohorts born during the 1970s or later, following rapid increases of mean height in the prefectures that initially have the lowest means. A comprehensive policy framework may be needed to address diverse factors affecting the physical growth of adolescents at the subnational level.