{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,29]],"date-time":"2026-08-29T00:37:12Z","timestamp":1787963832200,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":48,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,8]],"date-time":"2022-07-08T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1657238400000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":7,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"M\u00e4xi Foundation Zurich","award":["N\/A"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["N\/A"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["bmj.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["BMJ Open"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2022,7]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title><jats:p>On the one hand, trends in average height in adulthood mirror changes in living standard and health status of a population and its subgroups; on the other hand, height in general, as well as the loss of height in older age in particular, are associated in different ways with outcomes for health. For these aspects, there is hardly any information for Switzerland based on representative and measured body height data.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Design<\/jats:title><jats:p>Repeated cross-sectional survey study.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Setting<\/jats:title><jats:p>Fully anonymised data from the representative population-based Geneva Bus Sant\u00e9 Study between 2005 and 2017 were analysed.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>Data from N=8686 study participants were used in the trend analysis. Height was measured and sociodemographic information and self-rated health was collected via questionnaires. Follow-up (mean: 7.1 years) measurements from N=2112 participants were available to assess height loss after age 50.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>Women were, on average, 166.2\u2009cm (SD 6.5) tall and men 179.2\u2009cm (SD 6.5). Among men and women, higher socioeconomic status was associated with taller average height. The flattening of the increase in height from the 1970s birth years appears to begin earlier in the subgroup with the highest education level. The tallest average height was measured for men and women from Central and Northern Europe, the shortest for South America and Asia. The likelihood that participants rated their health as \u2018very good\u2019 increased with greater body height. The follow-up data show that men lost \u22120.11\u2009cm per follow-up year (95%\u2009CI \u22120.12 to \u22120.10), women \u22120.17\u2009cm (95%\u2009CI \u22120.18 to 0.15).<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title><jats:p>The association of height and health status is currently understudied. Monitoring changes in average body height may indicate disparities in different subgroups of populations. Based on our study and a growing literature, we think that the multifaceted role of body height should be better considered in clinical practice.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2021-059568","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,8]],"date-time":"2022-07-08T14:40:12Z","timestamp":1657291212000},"page":"e059568","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":12,"title":["Body height in adult women and men in a cross-sectional population-based survey in Geneva: temporal trends, association with general health status and height loss after age 50"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Julia","family":"Sch\u00e4ppi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4387-8943","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Silvia","family":"Stringhini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Idris","family":"Guessous","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3951-1807","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kaspar","family":"Staub","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Katarina L","family":"Matthes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,8]]},"reference":[{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Wells JC . Worldwide variability in growth and its association with health: incorporating body composition, developmental plasticity, and intergenerational effects. Am J Hum Biol 2017;2017. -01\u201322.","DOI":"10.1002\/ajhb.22954"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.2","unstructured":"Tanner JM , Man Finto . Physical growth from conception to maturity. 2nd edn. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1990."},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.3","unstructured":"Bogin B . Patterns of human growth. 2nd edn. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999."},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Floud R , Fogel R , Harris B . The changing body: health, nutrition, and human development in the Western world since 1700. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, 2011.","DOI":"10.3386\/w16938"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/nutrit\/nuv105"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"67","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ehb.2009.09.002","article-title":"Taller \u2013 healthier \u2013 more equal? the biological standard of living in Switzerland in the second half of the 20th century","volume":"8","author":"Kues","year":"2010","journal-title":"Econ Hum Biol"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S1570-677X(02)00033-3"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Gausman J , Meija Guevara I , Subramanian SV , et al . Distributional change of women\u2019s adult height in low- and middle-income countries over the past half century: An observational study using cross-sectional survey data. PLoS Med 2018;15:e1002568.doi:10.1371\/journal.pmed.1002568","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pmed.1002568"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"341","DOI":"10.1127\/0003-5548\/2009\/0027","article-title":"Anthropometric history: an overview of a quarter century of research","volume":"67","author":"Komlos","year":"2010","journal-title":"Anthr Anz"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"67","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ypmed.2017.05.023","article-title":"Body height and mortality - mortality follow-up of four Swiss surveys","volume":"101","author":"Rohrmann","year":"2017","journal-title":"Prev Med"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pmed.1002568"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"57","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev-publhealth-031816-044348","article-title":"Public health surveillance systems: recent advances in their use and evaluation","volume":"38","author":"Groseclose","year":"2017","journal-title":"Annu Rev Public Health"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.13","first-page":"1","article-title":"Updated guidelines for evaluating public health surveillance systems: recommendations from the guidelines Working group","volume":"50","author":"German","year":"2001","journal-title":"MMWR Recomm Rep"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"809","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(89)90881-7","article-title":"Nutritional supplements, stunting, and child development","volume":"2","author":"Grantham-McGregor","year":"1989","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"571","DOI":"10.1017\/S0145553200023191","article-title":"The potential of auxological data for monitoring economic and social well-being","volume":"6","author":"Tanner","year":"1982","journal-title":"Soc Sci Hist"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"201","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ehb.2019.03.009","article-title":"Have Swiss adult males and females stopped growing taller? Evidence from the population-based nutrition survey menuCH, 2014\/2015","volume":"33","author":"Vinci","year":"2019","journal-title":"Econ Hum Biol"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"479","DOI":"10.1017\/S1368980013000207","article-title":"Trends in dietary intake in Switzerland, 1999 to 2009","volume":"17","author":"Abreu","year":"2014","journal-title":"Public Health Nutr"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Sch\u00f6nbeck Y , van Dommelen P , HiraSing RA , et al . Trend in height of Turkish and Moroccan children living in the Netherlands. PLoS One 2015;10:e0124686.doi:10.1371\/journal.pone.0124686","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0124686"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/ije\/dys086"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1210\/jc.2012-1543"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"146","DOI":"10.1002\/jbmr.557","article-title":"Height loss predicts subsequent hip fracture in men and women of the Framingham study","volume":"27","author":"Hannan","year":"2012","journal-title":"J Bone Miner Res"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/oxfordjournals.aje.a010106"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"259","DOI":"10.1007\/s10654-009-9337-8","article-title":"Estimation of absolute fracture risk among middle-aged and older men and women: the EPIC-Norfolk population cohort study","volume":"24","author":"Moayyeri","year":"2009","journal-title":"Eur J Epidemiol"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Pluskiewicz W , Adamczyk P , Drozdzowska B . The significance of height loss in postmenopausal women. The results from go study. Int J Clin Pract 2021;75.doi:10.1111\/ijcp.14009","DOI":"10.1111\/ijcp.14009"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1493","DOI":"10.1007\/s00198-007-0392-2","article-title":"Historical height loss, vertebral deformity, and health-related quality of life in Hiroshima cohort study","volume":"18","author":"Masunari","year":"2007","journal-title":"Osteoporos Int"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Wannamethee SG . Height loss in older men. Arch Intern Med 2006;166:2546.doi:10.1001\/archinte.166.22.2546","DOI":"10.1001\/archinte.166.22.2546"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"9","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ygcen.2013.03.028","article-title":"\u201cFrom growth in height to growth in breadth\u201d: The changing body shape of Swiss conscripts since the late 19th century and possible endocrine explanations","volume":"188","author":"Staub","year":"2013","journal-title":"Gen Comp Endocrinol"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"438","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ehb.2011.03.001","article-title":"Edouard Mallet's early and almost forgotten study of the average height of Genevan conscripts in 1835","volume":"9","author":"Staub","year":"2011","journal-title":"Econ Hum Biol"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2019-028971"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"35","DOI":"10.1038\/s41387-019-0102-0","article-title":"Overlapping spatial clusters of sugar-sweetened beverage intake and body mass index in Geneva state, Switzerland","volume":"9","author":"Joost","year":"2019","journal-title":"Nutr Diabetes"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Dumont S , Marques-Vidal P , Favrod-Coune T , et al . Alcohol policy changes and 22-year trends in individual alcohol consumption in a Swiss adult population: a 1993\u20132014 cross-sectional population-based study. BMJ Open 2017;7:e014828.doi:10.1136\/bmjopen-2016-014828","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2016-014828"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"859","DOI":"10.1038\/s41430-018-0273-0","article-title":"Twenty-four-year trends and determinants of change in compliance with Swiss dietary guidelines","volume":"73","author":"Schneid Schuh","year":"2019","journal-title":"Eur J Clin Nutr"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Guessous I , Bochud M , Theler J-M , et al . 1999\u20132009 trends in prevalence, unawareness, treatment and control of hypertension in Geneva, Switzerland. PLoS One ;7:e39877.doi:10.1371\/journal.pone.0039877","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0039877"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0039877"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"291","DOI":"10.1080\/1081602X.2016.1230509","article-title":"The relationship between family characteristics and height in Sardinia at the turn of the twentieth century","volume":"22","author":"Mazzoni","year":"2017","journal-title":"Hist Fam"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/jech-2011-200699"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jclinepi.2007.11.008"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Wood S . Generalized additive models: an introduction with R. 2nd edn. Boca Raton, Fla: Chapman and Hall\/CRC, 2017.","DOI":"10.1201\/9781315370279"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"201","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ehb.2019.03.009","article-title":"Have Swiss adult males and females stopped growing taller? Evidence from the population-based nutrition survey menuCH, 2014\/2015","volume":"33","author":"Vinci","year":"2019","journal-title":"Econ Hum Biol"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/ng.3097"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"(NCD-RisC) NRFC . A century of trends in adult human height. Elife 2016;5.doi:10.7554\/eLife.13410","DOI":"10.7554\/eLife.13410"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.42"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"61","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ehb.2017.01.005","article-title":"A tall order: small area mapping and modelling of adult height among Swiss male conscripts","volume":"26","author":"Panczak","year":"2017","journal-title":"Econ Hum Biol"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100028","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijchy.2020.100028","article-title":"Influence of height on blood pressure and hypertension among Bangladeshi adults","volume":"5","author":"Islam","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int J Cardiol Hypertens"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.45","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41416-018-0370-9"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2043","DOI":"10.1007\/s00198-021-05941-3","article-title":"Height loss in postmenopausal women-do we need more for fracture risk assessment? results from the go study","volume":"32","author":"Pluskiewicz","year":"2021","journal-title":"Osteoporos Int"},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.47","unstructured":"B\u00fcchi E . \u00c4nderungen Der K\u00f6rpeform beim erwachsenen Menschen. Eine Untersuchung nACh Der Individual-Methode. Horn, Wien: Verlag Ferdinand Berger, 1950."},{"key":"2022070807351678000_12.7.e059568.48","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1186\/s12891-020-03464-2","article-title":"Adult spinal deformity and its relationship with height loss: a 34-year longitudinal cohort study","volume":"21","author":"Shimizu","year":"2020","journal-title":"BMC Musculoskelet Disord"}],"container-title":["BMJ Open"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/syndication.highwire.org\/content\/doi\/10.1136\/bmjopen-2021-059568","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,8]],"date-time":"2022-07-08T14:40:43Z","timestamp":1657291243000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/bmjopen.bmj.com\/lookup\/doi\/10.1136\/bmjopen-2021-059568"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2022,7]]},"references-count":48,"journal-issue":{"issue":"7","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,8]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2022,7]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1136\/bmjopen-2021-059568"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/bmjopen-2021-059568","relation":{},"ISSN":["2044-6055","2044-6055"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2044-6055","type":"print"},{"value":"2044-6055","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2022,7]]}}}