Social status and adult heights in the two Germanies

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Lack of evidence prevented hitherto the systematic comparison of physical stature across East and West Germany. AIM: The aim of this study is to compare heights by social status in the two Germanies with very different socio-economic and political systems prior to unification. DATA: The German Federal Health Survey of 1998 (Public Use File BGS98), a cross-sectional random sample of 7124 adult males and females between ages 18 and 79 (birth cohorts of 1919-1980) is used in the analysis. RESULTS: There are considerable and persistent differences by social status in both East and West Germany over time. The West German height advantage among men increases with social status, whereas among women the opposite is the case. East German men born after the Berlin Wall was built became significantly shorter, but East Germans regained equality with West Germans after unification. In contrast, East German females were markedly shorter than their West German counterparts throughout the period considered. CONCLUSIONS: The West German capitalistic welfare state provided a more propitious environment for the physical growth of the human organism than did the socialist East German government. There were substantial social differences in height in the officially classless German Democratic Republic.

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