Original paper
Height inequalities and change trends among Chinese children and adolescents aged 7–18 years from 1985 to 2019
Li, Weiming; Ma, Wen
HOMO Volume 76 No 1 (2025), p. 57 - 67
published: Dec 18, 2025
published online: Dec 15, 2025
manuscript accepted: Oct 10, 2025
final revised version received: Oct 10, 2025
manuscript revision requested: Aug 12, 2025
manuscript received: May 28, 2025
DOI: 10.1127/homo/1955
Open Access (paper may be downloaded free of charge)
Abstract
Background: To analyze the inequality and change trends in height of children and adolescents aged 7–18 years in different regions of China from 1985 to 2019. Methods: Data were extracted for the height of Chinese children and adolescents aged 7–18 years from eight Chinese National Surveys on Students’ Constitution and Health (CNSSCH) from 1985 to 2019. We calculated the urban–rural difference in height of children and adolescents and the height coefficient of variation of urban and rural children and adolescents each year. Results: We found that there are large differences in the height of children and adolescents between urban and rural areas, the eastern regions and western regions, Shanghai and Guizhou. From 1985 to 2019, the urban–rural difference in height for boys decreased from 4.24 cm to 1.76 cm and for girls from 3.72 cm to 1.45 cm and the urban–rural difference in height for boys and girls in the western regions was larger. From 1985 to 2019, there were also large height differences between the eastern regions and western regions, Shanghai and Guizhou, which were comparisons of the height differences between developed and undeveloped areas of China. Meanwhile, height inequalities were more serious in rural areas. Whether in the eastern regions and western regions, Shanghai and Guizhou, the height differences between peers were larger in rural areas than in urban areas. Conclusions: There were obvious height inequalities in China. Although the urban–rural differences have decreased, the height differences among regions at different economic levels have gradually increased, especially in rural areas. These differences should be taken seriously and relevant policies should be formulated to reduce height inequalities for children and adolescents in different regions.
Keywords
height • children and adolescents • inequality • trends