Secular change of craniofacial measures in Croatian younger adults

A secular change of body height and neurocranial variables was registered in the Croatian population during the last century. We investigated the continuity of this process, and introduced facial measurements into the study. The results cover a 13-year period, from the birth of the subjects in 1974-1986, with a gap in the period from 1977-1981. The subjects were first-year students of the University of Rijeka School of Medicine, aged 19-21 years. Secular changes were evaluated by analysis of variance and multivariate regression analysis. A statistically significant decrease was found in head breadth, and an increase in morphological face height values, in both sexes. A significant increase of head circumference was observed in female students. The height and length of the head in both sexes displayed a slight but insignificant increase, while face breadth revealed no notable change during the investigated period. The results allow an assumption of a trend of cranial vault and face shape remodeling in our younger adult population toward a narrower vault and more elongated face, consistent with ongoing dolichocephalization. The correlation analysis revealed a low to moderate relationship of vertical and longitudinal craniofacial measures and body height, while partial correlation analysis showed facial height changes in our sample to be independent of cranial breadth changes.