The secular trend in size and maturational timing and its implications for nutritional assessment
Abstract
For most westernized countries there has been a marked intergenerational increase in size and a decrease in the age at menarche, both interrupted or temporarily reversed during economic disruption or war-time deprivation. In some Third World countries such secular trends have not yet occurred or there have been actual decreases in body size. The presence or absence of secular trends can be used as a form of nutritional surveillance, and in the westernized world the magnitude of secular trends necessitates continual updating of dimensional and maturational standards used in nutritional appraisal.
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The age at peak height velocity in the pubertal growth spurt has decreased by 4 months per decade.
“the age at peak height velocity in the pubertal growth spurt has also decreased by 4 months per decade”
From Emerging Adulthood, a Pre-adult Life-History Stage (2020) · cites this paper as [114]
Menarcheal age has declined in the U.S. and Europe for over a century.
“Menarcheal age has declined in the U.S. and Europe for over a century”
From Emerging Adulthood, a Pre-adult Life-History Stage (2020) · cites this paper as [114]
Menarcheal age has declined by 4 years over the past 150 years.
“It has declined by 4 years over the past 150 years”
From Emerging Adulthood, a Pre-adult Life-History Stage (2020) · cites this paper as [114]
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- Authors
- Garn, S. M.
- Affiliations
- University of Michigan (US)
- Corresponding author
- Garn, Stanley M.
- Venue
- The Journal of Nutrition
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 1987-05
- Volume
- 117
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 817-823
- ISSN
- 0022-3166 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1557310822
- Cited by
- 68
- References
- 33
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 0.43
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Nutrition (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Reproductive Medicine › Hypothalamic control of reproductive hormones
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Human Health and Disease
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Birth, Development, and Health
- Keywords
- secular trends, body size, age at menarche, nutritional assessment, nutritional surveillance, intergenerational change, economic disruption, reference materials
- MeSH terms
- Female, Humans, Nutritional Physiological Phenomena, Sexual Maturation
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