La evolucidn de la estatura en Francia y en Espana, 1770-2000. Balance historiografico y nuevas evidencias

Abstract

Height is used by paediatricians and anthropologists as a measure of the health and well-being of human populations. Over the past few decades, it has been used by historians as an indicator of the biological standard of living in studies on the impact of environmental, social and economic transformations on well-being in the past. This article describes the historical contributions made by different specialists on this issue and compares the evolution of the height of men in France and Spain. Annual military recruitment data from the 1770s until the end of the 20th century show a secular trend in both countries and reveal cycles that result from periods of deterioration in health and nutritional status.