Secular trend in height in Sardinian conscripts drafted from 1879-1883 to 1983-1986

This paper deals with the secular height trend in Sardinian conscripts. Between 1883 and 1986 an increase in height of 6.77 cm (0.66 cm/decade) was found. On comparing conscripts born in 1948-1949 (immediately after the Second World War) with those born in 1964-1968 one sees an increase in average height of 2.39 cm/decade, with a peak of 3.67 cm/decade in the comparison between subjects born in 1948-1949 and those born in 1955-1958.