Ugandan women becoming shorter
May 05, 2011
RESEARCH findings released on April 25 show that over the last 40 years, African women have become shorter.
By CATHERINE WATSON
RESEARCH findings released on April 25 show that over the last 40 years, African women have become shorter.
In a study called “Height of Nations†conducted by Prof. SV Subramanian of the Harvard School of Public Health, it was established that women born in Africa in the last two decades are shorter than their mothers or grandmothers born after World War II.
An economist, John Komlos, said the declining height of African women poses a danger to future generations.
“Adult height is a measure of standard of living, biological well-being and life expectancy. When height stagnates or declines across generations, it is an indication that things are getting worse,†Komlos said.
Subramanian and his team examined the height of 364,538 women aged 24– 49 in 54 low-to-middle income countries.
Out of the 54 countries, 14 had women decline in height, 21 had no change and 19 had increase in women’s heights.
All the 14 countries that experienced decline in women’s height were in Africa.
The study indicated that only Kenya and Senegal among African countries registered increase in height.
Kenya was the best performing African country and the ninth best out of the 54. Kenyan women born in the 1980s are about 1.95cm taller than those born in the 1950s.
Women’s height stagnated in 15 African countries which included Uganda, Congo Brazzaville, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Togo, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Tanzania, Ghana, Gabon and CAR.
At a time when countries like Nepal, India and Bangladesh have people becoming taller, Uganda, the 16th worst performing country out of the 54, registered no discernable increase in women’s height despite steady economic growth.
Tanzania was 26th out of the 54 countries.
Women’s height declined in Rwanda, Zambia, Comoros, Madagascar, DRC, Mozambique, Nigeria, Chad, Namibia, Benin, Liberia, Mali, Niger and Malawi.
Rwanda experienced a decline of 4.2cm decline in height between women born in the 1950s and those born in the 1970-80s.
“This is huge and exceptional,†said the researcher who attributed the decline to war and genocide. Zambia despite the relative peace registered a big loss of 3.4cm.
No other part of the world registered declines, although women’s height stagnated in Cambodia, Nicaragua, Haiti, Honduras, Guatemala and Brazil.
In the remaining 19 countries, women become taller.
In Turkey and Kazakhstan, younger women are 4cm taller than their grandmothers.
Getting taller is a sign of better diet, health care and good sewage systems. Men in France and Norway are now about 20kg heavier and 7cm taller than their countrymen in previous centuries.
US baseball players are about 12kg heavier and 8cm taller than baseball players 150 years ago.
The stagnation and shortening of African women in the 20th and 21st century reveals intense deprivation.
RESEARCH findings released on April 25 show that over the last 40 years, African women have become shorter.
In a study called “Height of Nations†conducted by Prof. SV Subramanian of the Harvard School of Public Health, it was established that women born in Africa in the last two decades are shorter than their mothers or grandmothers born after World War II.
An economist, John Komlos, said the declining height of African women poses a danger to future generations.
“Adult height is a measure of standard of living, biological well-being and life expectancy. When height stagnates or declines across generations, it is an indication that things are getting worse,†Komlos said.
Subramanian and his team examined the height of 364,538 women aged 24– 49 in 54 low-to-middle income countries.
Out of the 54 countries, 14 had women decline in height, 21 had no change and 19 had increase in women’s heights.
All the 14 countries that experienced decline in women’s height were in Africa.
The study indicated that only Kenya and Senegal among African countries registered increase in height.
Kenya was the best performing African country and the ninth best out of the 54. Kenyan women born in the 1980s are about 1.95cm taller than those born in the 1950s.
Women’s height stagnated in 15 African countries which included Uganda, Congo Brazzaville, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Togo, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Tanzania, Ghana, Gabon and CAR.
At a time when countries like Nepal, India and Bangladesh have people becoming taller, Uganda, the 16th worst performing country out of the 54, registered no discernable increase in women’s height despite steady economic growth.
Tanzania was 26th out of the 54 countries.
Women’s height declined in Rwanda, Zambia, Comoros, Madagascar, DRC, Mozambique, Nigeria, Chad, Namibia, Benin, Liberia, Mali, Niger and Malawi.
Rwanda experienced a decline of 4.2cm decline in height between women born in the 1950s and those born in the 1970-80s.
“This is huge and exceptional,†said the researcher who attributed the decline to war and genocide. Zambia despite the relative peace registered a big loss of 3.4cm.
No other part of the world registered declines, although women’s height stagnated in Cambodia, Nicaragua, Haiti, Honduras, Guatemala and Brazil.
In the remaining 19 countries, women become taller.
In Turkey and Kazakhstan, younger women are 4cm taller than their grandmothers.
Getting taller is a sign of better diet, health care and good sewage systems. Men in France and Norway are now about 20kg heavier and 7cm taller than their countrymen in previous centuries.
US baseball players are about 12kg heavier and 8cm taller than baseball players 150 years ago.
The stagnation and shortening of African women in the 20th and 21st century reveals intense deprivation.