Biological traits of spouses: socio-cultural and economic context in the urban and rural environments.

Abstract

The study covered 89 typical rural families and 161 typical urban families in a few of Polish regions, determining 39 features (morphological, physiological and psychomotor, morbidity, level of education, income and living conditions as well as fertility) of spouses and family. The families compared thus from the years of the best economic conditions (1975-1976) of post-war Poland are different from those described today for other periods and populations. Differences in the majority of somatic features, which are positive indices of health, are insignificant. Some of them, are better developed in urban populations (stronger physique, better nutritional status, lower blood pressure, better respiratory indices), others--in rural populations (greater muscle strength in women, shorter time of reaction). Urban population has been seen to have a higher morbidity than the people of rural areas. Differences in such a constant features as the shape of head point at the process of directional migration from villages of brachycephalic people. This shape of head is probably linked with improper nutrition (deficit of mineral components etc.).