Abstract

Objectives

To understand the distribution and secular trends of Chinese adult boys and girls and investigate their spatial network effects and determinants of spatial network effects.

Methods

Our study extracted data of 18-year-old boys and 17-year-old girls in China from the national students fitness and health survey reports in 1985, 2000, 2010, and 2019. A total of 89 839 participants were selected. The growth range and growth rate in each period were calculated. A neighborhood relationship network was created to share the common boundary.

Results

During the period 1985–2019, the average height of Chinese 18-year-old boys increased from 168.19 to 172.14 cm, and that of 17-year-old girls increased from 156.97 to 160.17 cm (all p trend <.05). Both boys and girls showed significant correlations in first- and second-level neighbors (all p < .05) with the most significant correlations in first-level neighbors (all p < .001). But there were no significant correlations in third-level neighbors. Height of girls and boys in each region was correlated with gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, urbanization rate, population density, longitude, and latitude. After controlling for factors with significance, only the initial regional height of girls in 2000 was positively correlated with first level neighborhood (p < .05).

Conclusion

Since 1985, the heights of Chinese boys aged 18 and girls aged 17 have been increasing and the increases accelerated. Height is related to nearer neighbors. After controlling GDP per capita, urbanization rate, population density, longitude and latitude, the correlations has almost disappeared.