Secular trends and regional pattern in body height of Austrian conscripts born between 1961 and 2002

The human growth process is influenced not only by genetic factors but also by environmental factors. Therefore, regional differences in mean body heights may exist within a population or a state. In the present study, we described and evaluated the regional trends in mean body heights in the nine Austrian provinces over a period spanning more than four decades. Body height data of 1734569 male conscripts born in Austria with Austrian citizenship between 1961 and 2002 were anonymized and analyzed. From 1961 to 2002 birth cohorts, an overall increase in the mean body height of Austrian recruits was observed, although regional differences were evident. Regions with shorter body heights in the 1961–1963 birth cohorts showed a particularly pronounced increase in mean body heights. Meanwhile, the course of body height growth in the capital city, Vienna, was striking, where the highest body heights were documented for the 1961–1963 birth cohorts. In Vienna, mean body heights continued to decline until the 1984 birth cohort and increased again from the 1988 birth cohorts. In addition to economic factors, increased stress factors in an urban environment and a form of urban penalty are discussed as causes.