The network effects on conscripts' height in the central provinces of Russian empire in the middle of XIX century
- Background: We investigated average body height in the central provinces of the Russian empire in the middle of XIX century in view of the concept of "community effects on height". We analyzed body height correlations between neighboring districts at this time. We added information about secular changes in body height during the 19th century of this territory. Material and methods: The study used height data of conscripts, which were born in the years 1853-1863, and age 21 at the time of measurement. The territory of seven provinces was considered as a network with 105 nodes, each node representing one district with information on average male body height. In order to define neighboring districts three different approaches were used: based on the "common borders" method, based on Euclidean distances (from 60 to 120 km), based on real road connections. Results: Small but significant correlation coefficients were observed between 1st order districts in the network based on Euclidean distance of 100 km (r = 0.256, p-value = 0.006) andBackground: We investigated average body height in the central provinces of the Russian empire in the middle of XIX century in view of the concept of "community effects on height". We analyzed body height correlations between neighboring districts at this time. We added information about secular changes in body height during the 19th century of this territory. Material and methods: The study used height data of conscripts, which were born in the years 1853-1863, and age 21 at the time of measurement. The territory of seven provinces was considered as a network with 105 nodes, each node representing one district with information on average male body height. In order to define neighboring districts three different approaches were used: based on the "common borders" method, based on Euclidean distances (from 60 to 120 km), based on real road connections. Results: Small but significant correlation coefficients were observed between 1st order districts in the network based on Euclidean distance of 100 km (r = 0.256, p-value = 0.006) and based on "the common borders" approach (r = 0.25, p-value = 0.02). Wherein no significant correlations were observed in the network based on road connections and between second order neighbors regardless of the method. Conclusion: Height correlation coefficients between 1st order neighboring districts observed in the Russian districts were very similar to values observed in the Polish study (r = 0.24). The considered Russian territory and the territory of Poland have a lot in common. They consist of both plains without mountains. In contradistinction to Poland the transport infrastructure in Russia was weakly developed in the middle of XIX century. In addition, the mobility of people was limited by serfdom. In this context the absent of significant correlation of second order neighbors can be explained by low population density and lack of migration and communication between the districts.…
Author details: | Lidia Lebedeva, Detlef GrothORCiDGND, Michael HermanussenORCiDGND, Christiane SchefflerORCiDGND, Elena Godina |
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DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1127/anthranz/2019/0984 |
ISSN: | 0003-5548 |
Pubmed ID: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30994699 |
Title of parent work (English): | Journal of biological and clinical anthropology : Anthropologischer Anzeiger ; Mitteilungsorgan der Gesellschaft für Anthropologie |
Subtitle (English): | at the beginning of XX century |
Publisher: | Schweizerbart |
Place of publishing: | Stuttgart |
Publication type: | Article |
Language: | English |
Date of first publication: | 2019/04/17 |
Publication year: | 2019 |
Release date: | 2021/04/29 |
Tag: | Russian empire; body height; community effect on height; conscripts; correlation |
Volume: | 76 |
Issue: | 5 |
Number of pages: | 7 |
First page: | 371 |
Last Page: | 377 |
Funding institution: | Auxological Society (Gesellschaft fur Auxologie); Society of Anthropology (Gesellschaft fur Anthropologie) |
Organizational units: | Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Institut für Biochemie und Biologie |
DDC classification: | 5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 57 Biowissenschaften; Biologie / 570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie |
Peer review: | Referiert |