The Effects of War-Related Stress on Human Development: Differences in Body Proportions of Polish Women Born Before and During World War II.

IF 1.6 4区医学 Q1 ANTHROPOLOGY American Journal of Human Biology Pub Date : 2024-10-30 DOI:10.1002/ajhb.24175

Linda Koníková, Grażyna Liczbińska, Miroslav Králík

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Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to explore the lasting effects of stress experienced by pregnant women during World War II (WWII) on body and head measurements of their adult daughters.

Methods: The research sample consists of 336 female university students born in Poland between 1925 and 1951. The data include body measurements and socioeconomic information (parental occupation and number of siblings) acquired from questionnaires collected between the 1950s and 1970s. Student's t-test, Mann-Whitney test and Analysis of Variance were used to analyze differences in body measurements between groups of women born before and during the war, as well as the possible influences of socioeconomic variables.

Results: The mean measurements of body height, symphysion height, and waist circumference were lower in women conceived and born during the war compared to those born in the pre-war period. In contrast, the mean measurements of biacromial (shoulder) width, trunk length, and three head dimensions were higher in women conceived and born during the war. Additionally, the number of siblings appeared to be a significant factor that may have influenced the body measurements of women in both groups. For instance, a higher number of living siblings, particularly sisters, was associated with reduced body dimensions, such as body height and waist circumference, while a greater number of deceased siblings was linked to an increase in certain body dimensions.

Conclusion: The results suggest that war-related prenatal conditions may have influenced the postnatal growth and development of women conceived and born during the war. Notably, the direction of these changes varied, which indicates that the growth response to the war-related conditions was a complex adaptation, reflecting both positive and negative changes in different body parts, rather than a uniform pattern of growth suppression.

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战争压力对人类发展的影响：二战前和二战期间出生的波兰妇女的身体比例差异。

研究目的本研究旨在探讨第二次世界大战（WWII）期间孕妇所经历的压力对其成年女儿身体和头部测量的持久影响：研究样本包括 1925 年至 1951 年间在波兰出生的 336 名女大学生。数据包括身体测量值和社会经济信息（父母职业和兄弟姐妹数量），这些信息来自 20 世纪 50 年代至 70 年代收集的调查问卷。研究采用了学生 t 检验、曼-惠特尼检验和方差分析来分析战前和战时出生的女性群体在身体测量方面的差异，以及社会经济变量可能造成的影响：结果：与战前出生的妇女相比，战时怀孕和出生的妇女的平均身高、体高和腰围都较低。相比之下，在战争期间受孕和出生的妇女的肩宽、躯干长和头部三围的平均测量值较高。此外，兄弟姐妹的数量似乎也是影响两组女性身体测量的一个重要因素。例如，活着的兄弟姐妹（尤其是姐妹）数量越多，身体尺寸（如身高和腰围）就越小，而死亡的兄弟姐妹数量越多，某些身体尺寸就越大：结果表明，与战争有关的产前条件可能影响了战争期间受孕和出生的妇女的产后生长发育。值得注意的是，这些变化的方向各不相同，这表明对战争相关条件的生长反应是一种复杂的适应，反映了不同身体部位的积极和消极变化，而不是一种统一的生长抑制模式。

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来源期刊

American Journal of Human Biology 生物-生物学

CiteScore

4.80

自引率

13.80%

发文量

124

审稿时长

4-8 weeks

期刊介绍： The American Journal of Human Biology is the Official Journal of the Human Biology Association. The American Journal of Human Biology is a bimonthly, peer-reviewed, internationally circulated journal that publishes reports of original research, theoretical articles and timely reviews, and brief communications in the interdisciplinary field of human biology. As the official journal of the Human Biology Association, the Journal also publishes abstracts of research presented at its annual scientific meeting and book reviews relevant to the field. The Journal seeks scholarly manuscripts that address all aspects of human biology, health, and disease, particularly those that stress comparative, developmental, ecological, or evolutionary perspectives. The transdisciplinary areas covered in the Journal include, but are not limited to, epidemiology, genetic variation, population biology and demography, physiology, anatomy, nutrition, growth and aging, physical performance, physical activity and fitness, ecology, and evolution, along with their interactions. The Journal publishes basic, applied, and methodologically oriented research from all areas, including measurement, analytical techniques and strategies, and computer applications in human biology. Like many other biologically oriented disciplines, the field of human biology has undergone considerable growth and diversification in recent years, and the expansion of the aims and scope of the Journal is a reflection of this growth and membership diversification. The Journal is committed to prompt review, and priority publication is given to manuscripts with novel or timely findings, and to manuscripts of unusual interest.