Growth of Estonian seventeen-year-old boys during the last two centuries

Between 1811 and 2003, the mean height of 17-year-old Estonian boys increased 18.4 cm (0.97 cm per decade). The increase was 5.2 cm (0.7 cm per decade) between 1811 and 1886,12.3 cm (2.2 cm per decade) between 1922 and 1978, and 0.5 cm per decade between 1978 and 2003. Between 1922 and 2003, mean height increased 8.2% and mean weight increased 27.2%. Between 1956 and 2003, biacromial (shoulder) breadth increased more than bicristal (hip) breadth; relative chest depth diminished; chest circumference and upper thigh circumference both increased. A multidimensional body structure model is constructed from 1998 to 2003 data. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.