• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.77-97
• /
• 2002

Since growth promotion was defined by Koch(1935), many researches like Benholdt and Thomsen(1942) have conducted studies for understanding problem of puberty growth. Growth promotion means that growth is developed in puberty, and several researchers have reported that the more becomes economic growth, the more becomes growth promotion. Thereupon, this study was attempted to find Maximum Growth Age(M.G.A.), as an index of height growth promotion in Korea, which was obtained by longitudinal observations of the same group. Thus, this study can explain the earlier tendency of growth. To investigate domestic changes in M.G.A., M.G.A. was calculated with the results of cross-sectional researchs using 25 representative papers between 1940-1953 including measurements by Lee(1940) and data by Kim(1953) in this study. Based on the research data published between 1940 and 2000, height and M.G.A. of males and females who were born between 1925 and 1983 were gotten by years, and a trend of growth promotion for height in Koreans was suggested by examining study subjects. Findings of this study are as follows; 1. M.G.A. for height decreased both in males and females; for males, 14.28 years in 1940, 14.24 in 1953, 13.86 in 1967, 12.74 in 1985, and 11.71 in 2000; for females, 12.0 in 1940, 11.52 in 1965, 10.00 in 1978 and 9.77 in 2000. 2. Regression equations and standard errors of estimate concerning M.G.A. for height by years were obtained; for males, Y$_1$(M.G.A.) = 17.21 - 0.059X$_1$, S$_{Y1X1}$(standard error of estimate about the regression line) = ${\pm}$0.62; for females, Y$_2$(M.G.A.) = 13.81-0.042X$_2$, S$_{Y2X2}$(standard error of estimate about the regression line) = ${\pm}$0.64 3. As a result of finding correlation between year and M.G.A. r=-0.763 (p<0.001) for male and r=-0.699(p<0.001) for female were obtained 4. From a view that the growth promotion has been continued before 2000, M.G.A. decreased 0.6 years for male and 0.4 for female per 10 years. 5. M.G.A. for height is as shown in Table 2. 6. It is thought that the future trend of growth promotion for height will follow the progress from 1940s to now. It shall be reviewed again after development of coming several years is investigated.