OBJECTIVE: In this article we examine the association between female height and reproductive success in a US sample and present a review of previous studies on this association. We also outline possible biological explanations for our findings. METHODS: We used data from a long-term study of 5,326 female Wisconsin high school graduates to examine the association between female height and reproductive success. Twenty-one samples on this association were covered by our literature review. RESULTS: Shorter women had more children surviving to age 18 than taller women, despite increased child mortality in shorter women. Taller women had a higher age at first birth and age at first marriage and reached a higher social status, but the negative effect of height on reproductive success persisted after controlling for these variables. However, while these effects were quite consistent in Western populations, they were not consistently present in non-Western populations. Our review also indicated that child mortality was almost universally higher among shorter women. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that shorter women have a higher number of live births but that final reproductive success depends on the positive effect of height on child survival.
OBJECTIVE: In this article we examine the association between female height and reproductive success in a US sample and present a review of previous studies on this association. We also outline possible biological explanations for our findings. METHODS: We used data from a long-term study of 5,326 female Wisconsin high school graduates to examine the association between female height and reproductive success. Twenty-one samples on this association were covered by our literature review. RESULTS: Shorter women had more children surviving to age 18 than taller women, despite increased child mortality in shorter women. Taller women had a higher age at first birth and age at first marriage and reached a higher social status, but the negative effect of height on reproductive success persisted after controlling for these variables. However, while these effects were quite consistent in Western populations, they were not consistently present in non-Western populations. Our review also indicated that child mortality was almost universally higher among shorter women. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that shorter women have a higher number of live births but that final reproductive success depends on the positive effect of height on child survival.
Authors: Felix C Tropf; Gert Stulp; Nicola Barban; Peter M Visscher; Jian Yang; Harold Snieder; Melinda C Mills Journal: PLoS One Date: 2015-06-03 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Meredith W Reiches; Sophie E Moore; Andrew M Prentice; Ann Prentice; Yankuba Sawo; Peter T Ellison Journal: Evol Med Public Health Date: 2013-04-09