OBJECTIVES: This study aims to explore the lasting effects of stress experienced by pregnant women during World War II (WWII) on body and head measurements of their adult daughters. METHODS: The research sample consists of 336 female university students born in Poland between 1925 and 1951. The data include body measurements and socioeconomic information (parental occupation and number of siblings) acquired from questionnaires collected between the 1950s and 1970s. Student's t-test, Mann-Whitney test and Analysis of Variance were used to analyze differences in body measurements between groups of women born before and during the war, as well as the possible influences of socioeconomic variables. RESULTS: The mean measurements of body height, symphysion height, and waist circumference were lower in women conceived and born during the war compared to those born in the pre-war period. In contrast, the mean measurements of biacromial (shoulder) width, trunk length, and three head dimensions were higher in women conceived and born during the war. Additionally, the number of siblings appeared to be a significant factor that may have influenced the body measurements of women in both groups. For instance, a higher number of living siblings, particularly sisters, was associated with reduced body dimensions, such as body height and waist circumference, while a greater number of deceased siblings was linked to an increase in certain body dimensions. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that war-related prenatal conditions may have influenced the postnatal growth and development of women conceived and born during the war. Notably, the direction of these changes varied, which indicates that the growth response to the war-related conditions was a complex adaptation, reflecting both positive and negative changes in different body parts, rather than a uniform pattern of growth suppression.

• MeSH
• 2. světová válka * MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• psychický stres MeSH
• socioekonomické faktory MeSH
• těhotenství MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• těhotenství MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Polsko MeSH

• MeSH
• bérec * MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Collective gatherings are often associated with the alignment of psychophysiological states between members of a crowd. While the process of emotional contagion has been studied extensively in dyads as well as at the population level, our understanding of its operation and dynamics as they unfold in real time in real-world group contexts remains limited. Employing a naturalistic design, we investigated emotional contagion in a public religious ritual by examining the relationship between interpersonal distance and autonomic arousal. We found that proximity in space was associated with heightened affective synchrony between participants in the context of the emotionally laden ritual (a Hindu procession) compared with an unstructured walk along the same route performed by the same group. Our findings contribute to the understanding of collective emotions and their underlying psychophysiological mechanisms, emphasizing the role of cultural practices in shaping collective emotional experiences.

• MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• emoce * MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• rituální chování * MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Age at peak height velocity (APHV) is an indicator of maturity timing which is applicable to both sexes, and which is influenced by environmental factors. The objective of this study was to assess variation in APHV associated with several indicators of socioeconomic status (SES) in a longitudinal sample of Polish adolescents. The sample included 739 boys born in 1983 and followed annually from 12 to 16 years, and 597 girls born in 1985 and followed annually from 9 to 13 years. The height records were fitted with the SITAR model to estimate APHV. SES was estimated using principal component analysis of indicators of familial status based on parental education, family size, living conditions and household possessions. Statistical analyses included analysis of variance (one-way for general SES and three-way for parental education and family size) and Tukey post-hoc tests for unequal samples. General SES (p <.001) and family size (p < .05) significantly influenced APHV among boys, while only maternal education (p < .05) significantly influenced APHV among girls. Among youth from families of higher SES, as defined by the respective indicators, APHV was attained significantly earlier, on average, than in peers from families of lower SES. Overall, the results showed a sex-dependent effect of SES on APHV, and highlighted the influence of favorable socioeconomic conditions for optimal growth and maturation during adolescence.

• MeSH
• dítě MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• longitudinální studie MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• sexuální faktory MeSH
• socioekonomické faktory * MeSH
• společenská třída MeSH
• tělesná výška * MeSH
• vývoj mladistvých MeSH
• Check Tag
• dítě MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Polsko MeSH

OBJECTIVE: To address the relationship between socioeconomic factors and age of menarche among Polish women born and reared in periods that varied considerably in environmental stresses: the Great Depression of the 1930s, the interval of World War II, and the interval of communist rule following World War II through the 1950s. METHODS: The data set included information on age at menarche and socioeconomic status (SES) of 718 women born during the Great Depression (n = 182), WWII (n = 189), and post-WWII through the 1950s (n = 347). A structured semi-parametric statistical model (generalized additive model [GAM] class) was used for analysis. An ANOVA-like linear model was used to test for marginal effects of SES-related factors and their interactions together with nonparametric seasonal effect. RESULTS: The influence of period of birth, month of birth, region of early childhood, and father's education, and the interaction between period of birth and father's education on age at menarche were statistically significant. During the economic crisis and the interval of WWII, differences in ages at menarche between the extreme categories of father's education were marked. The differences in ages at menarche between women from the lowest and highest social groups were markedly reduced among women born during the post-war interval. In addition, women born in February-March attained menarche earlier than women born in September-October. CONCLUSIONS: Unpredictable conditions associated with the economic crisis and war conditions had a stronger impact on age at menarche among women from families of lower SES compared to women from better economic circumstances. Individuals born and reared in low SES conditions likely suffered more severe deterioration across the spectrum of the standard of living and quality of life compared to those with a higher SES.

• MeSH
• kvalita života * MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• menarche * MeSH
• předškolní dítě MeSH
• socioekonomické faktory MeSH
• společenská třída MeSH
• věkové faktory MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• předškolní dítě MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Polsko MeSH

OBJECTIVES: The study aims to examine whether maternal socio-economic status, represented by marital status and the place of residence, affected birth body size (BBS) of babies in the pre-war period and during the WWII. METHODS: The dataset consisted of 8934 unique individual information items on mothers and deliveries collected for two birth cohorts: born before (1934, 1935, 1936, and 1937) and during the WWII (1941, 1942, 1943 and 1944). BBS (weight, length, BMI) was compared according to mother's marital status and her place of residence in two cohorts separately. (ART)ANOVA was applied to test the effect of a child's sex, maternal marital status (MMS), and maternal place of residence (MPR) on birth weight/length/BMI of babies born alive before and during the WWII. RESULTS: Babies with greater BBS were born to married mothers than to single ones. This pattern applied to pre-war and to the WWII cohort. In both pre-war and the WWII cohorts the MMS had the strongest impact on BBS. The effect of mother's place of residence on BBS was observed in the pre-war cohort only. CONCLUSIONS: Marital status could have acted through economic and social factors, level of psychosocial stress and support, social (in)stability. In the pre-war period, the place of residence much more reflected socio-economic differences between localities. Marginal economic, health and nutritional conditions associated with the WWII affected mothers regardless of the size of their place of residence.

• MeSH
• 2. světová válka * MeSH
• dítě MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• manželský stav MeSH
• matky * MeSH
• socioekonomické faktory MeSH
• velikost těla MeSH
• Check Tag
• dítě MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Polsko MeSH

OBJECTIVES: Using prenatally fixed dermatoglyphics features as markers of prenatal sex development is limited due to insufficient knowledge on their sex differences. This study aims to examine more thoroughly sex differences in radioulnar contrasts. METHODS: Fingerprints of 360 females and 331 males from four samples of different ethnic backgrounds (Czechs, Slovaks, Vietnamese and Lusatian Sorbs) were studied. On both hands, finger ridge counts were recorded, and all possible radioulnar contrasts were computed as a difference between ridge count at a radial position minus ridge count at a respective ulnar position on the hand. Radioulnar contrasts with population-congruent and numerically large dimorphism were selected and the dimorphism of the selected radioulnar contrasts was then tested using nonparametric analysis of variance. RESULTS: Greater dimorphism of radioulnar contrasts occurred on the right hand than on the left hand. Population congruent direction and relatively strong dimorphism (Cohen's d greater than 0.3) was found in six radioulnar contrasts on the right hand, all of which involved the radial ridge count of the 2nd finger. Of these, the highest average dimorphism was observed for the difference between the radial ridge count of the 2nd finger and the ulnar ridge count of the 4th finger (2r4u contrast), where the average effect size from all four population samples was comparable to a published average effect size of the 2D:4D finger length ratio. CONCLUSION: We propose that 2r4u contrast of ridge counts could serve as a marker of prenatal sexual development targeting a temporally narrow developmental window.

• MeSH
• biologické markery MeSH
• dermatoglyfika * MeSH
• etnicita MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• pohlavní dimorfismus * MeSH
• prsty ruky anatomie a histologie   MeSH
• sexuální vývoj MeSH
• těhotenství MeSH
• vitaminy MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• těhotenství MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to examine a secular trend in age at menarche (AAM) in the former Czechoslovak (and descendant Slovak and Czech) population in relation to its large-scale political and social events taking place after World War II. METHODS: The study included 211 women aged 18-30 (born during 1984-1998), and their relatives: mothers, sisters, and grandmothers, yielding a total of 421 women. Changes in retrospectively recalled AAM between the three generations of women (oldest-grandmothers, middle-mothers, and youngest-daughters) were studied in pairwise comparisons. Relationships between AAM and the birth/conception date were analyzed relative to three events in the post-WWII Czechoslovakia (1948, 1968, and 1989). RESULTS: AAM was the highest in the oldest generation, slightly lower in the middle generation and the lowest in the youngest generation. Mixed-Effect Model showed statistically significant interaction between the date of conception, historical events, and the period before and after the event. CONCLUSIONS: The recorded decline in AAM is congruent with secular trends reported in the literature. However, the decreasing trend was not linear and included an increase in AAM in women conceived within the five-year period after the invasion of Czechoslovakia by communist armies in 1968.

• MeSH
• 2. světová válka * MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• menarche * MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• retrospektivní studie MeSH
• věkové faktory MeSH
• vývoj mladistvých MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Československo MeSH

BACKGROUND: Predicted maturity offset, defined as time before peak height velocity (PHV) is increasingly used as an indicator of maturity status in studies of physical activity, fitness, and sport. OBJECTIVE: To validate maturity offset prediction equations in longitudinal samples of boys and girls. METHODS: The original and modified maturity offset prediction equations were applied to serial data for 266 boys (8-17 years) and 147 girls (8-16 years) from the Cracow Growth Study. Actual age at PHV for each youngster was estimated with the SITAR protocol. In addition to maturity offset, the difference between CA at prediction and maturity offset provided an estimate of predicted age at PHV. RESULTS: Predicted maturity offset and age at PHV increased, on average, with CA at prediction. Variation in predictions was reduced compared to that in observed ages at offset and at PHV, and was more apparent with the modified equations. Relatively few predicted ages at PHV approximated observed age at PHV in early and late maturing youth of both sexes; predictions were later than observed among the former, and earlier than observed among the latter. CONCLUSION: Predicted maturity offset and ages at PHV with the original and modified equations increase with CA at prediction, have reduced variation, and have major limitations with early and late maturing boys and girls.

• MeSH
• antropometrie MeSH
• cvičení MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• longitudinální studie MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• sporty * MeSH
• tělesná výška * MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

OBJECTIVES: The objective of the study was to determine whether exposure of pregnant women to stresses caused by World War II (WWII) negatively affected pregnancy and perinatal outcomes. METHODS: Individual medical documents deposited in the Gynaecology and Obstetrics Clinic of Medical University, Poznań (1934-1943; N = 7058) were evaluated. These were divided into two birth cohorts: before WWII and during it. Frequency tables were constructed for the numbers of pregnancy outcomes: miscarriages, stillbirths, live births, and neonatal deaths, according to the period of birth and sex of a child. The numbers of recorded days were standardized and the numbers of cases per day were computed. Statistical differences in the averages (medians) between periods and years under study were tested. Birth weight, length, and body mass index (BMI) were compared according to the periods related to WWII. RESULTS: Significant differences in proportions of males, females, and subjects with unknown sex were found between the periods: a higher proportion of males and different structure of/within negative outcomes were found during WWII. Children born during WWII were heavier and longer than those born before it. CONCLUSIONS: As an explanation, adverse conditions of WWII, related to the psychological stress and food shortages, could have influenced greater elimination of fetuses and neonates of male sex during pregnancy and shortly after delivery. Higher average body size in newborns recorded during WWI could be explained by a hidden process of increased early prenatal mortality of weaker individuals, differences in average gestation length between the periods, differences in parity, or some undocumented differences in social/ethnic composition of the sample.

• MeSH
• 2. světová válka * MeSH
• index tělesné hmotnosti * MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• novorozenec MeSH
• porod MeSH
• porodní hmotnost * MeSH
• roční období MeSH
• sexuální faktory MeSH
• velikost těla MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• novorozenec MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Polsko MeSH