Long-Term Trends in Height in Rural Eastern Andalusia (1750-1950).

The article examines the long-term trends in stature in rural Eastern Andalusia based on data of height from adult males between the 18th century and 20th century. Time-cohort series and general trends were analyzed to compare average height with demographic and socioeconomic information to provide a basis for the potential interaction of variables. The possible implications of nutritional status shifts in social terms were considered. Results suggest a successive cycle of height variations until the mid-19th century. Institutional measures that may have interrupted the reproductive strategies of a significant portion of the rural population are discussed.