Association between body height and month of birth among women of European origin in northern and southern hemispheres.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the potential association between month of birth and body height among women in northern and southern hemispheres.

METHODS: Body heights of adult women of European origin born between 1935 and 1981 who lived in Poland (N = 3,933) and in Australia (N = 1,118) were examined in relation to month of birth by analysis of variance.

RESULTS: No association between month of birth and body height was observed in either Polish or Australian women. For Polish women, a clear, statistically significant secular trend in body height was confirmed for the analyzed period (P < .0001). No such trend occurred among the Australian women.

CONCLUSIONS: Results do not confirm a significant association between month of birth and adult body height in women. It is, however, important to see a difference in secular trends, which was large in Polish women and nonexistent in Australian females.