The Physical Stature of Children in Northern English Factory Districts, 1837

The objective of the study was to measure variation in stature at different ages and – for the first time in an historical study – to measure the tempo, or velocity, of growth during childhood. This will permit the identification of age-specific interruptions in the pattern of early growth and allow a better-informed examination of the health effects of urban living and the industrial workplace. It examined the balance between age-specific disease, poor nutritional intake and working conditions as the principal cause of relative short stature among children in factory districts.