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In historic and prehistoric populations, the sex ratio can often only be determined based on bioarchaeological analyses of cemeteries. In this context, a so-called female deficit has been described, which clearly contrasts the sex ratio typical of recent populations. The present study aims to analyze the sex ratio in the eastern cemetery (‘Gräberfeld Ost’) of the Roman town Ovilava. This site is located beneath today’s city of Wels in Upper Austria (AUT), in the northwestern region of Noricum. Spatial as well as chronological aspects of the sex ratio were considered. A total of 111 individuals older than 15 years could be included in the analysis. Radiocarbon dating allowed a chronological classification of the burials. In addition, a spatial analysis of the cemetery was carried out using a geoinformation system. For the whole sample, a sex ratio of 200.0 and a marked female deficit were recorded. Considering the individual age classes and the periods separately, an apparent female surplus emerged among individuals younger than 20 years (sex ratio = 62.5). With increasing age class, the proportion of females reduced dramatically; among the over 40-year-olds, the sex ratio was 370.0. There was also an apparent female deficit in the Early Roman and Imperial Roman Periods but an almost balanced sex ratio in the early Middle Ages. Furthermore, the sex proportion varied between the cemetery areas. Consequently, a female deficit occurs mainly during Roman times and in specific areas of the burial ground.

Ancient DNA research in the past decade has revealed that European population structure changed dramatically in the prehistoric period (14,000–3000 years before present, YBP), reflecting the widespread introduction of Neolithic farmer and Bronze Age Steppe ancestries. However, little is known about how population structure changed from the historical period onward (3000 YBP - present). To address this, we collected whole genomes from 204 individuals from Europe and the Mediterranean, many of which are the first historical period genomes from their region (e.g. Armenia and France). We found that most regions show remarkable inter-individual heterogeneity. At least 7% of historical individuals carry ancestry uncommon in the region where they were sampled, some indicating cross-Mediterranean contacts. Despite this high level of mobility, overall population structure across western Eurasia is relatively stable through the historical period up to the present, mirroring geography. We show that, under standard population genetics models with local panmixia, the observed level of dispersal would lead to a collapse of population structure. Persistent population structure thus suggests a lower effective migration rate than indicated by the observed dispersal. We hypothesize that this phenomenon can be explained by extensive transient dispersal arising from drastically improved transportation networks and the Roman Empire’s mobilization of people for trade, labor, and military. This work highlights the utility of ancient DNA in elucidating finer scale human population dynamics in recent history.

Twenty-seven scientists met for the annual Auxological conference held at Aschau, Germany, to particularly discuss the interaction between social factors and human growth, and to highlight several topics of general interest to the regulation of human growth. Humans are social mammals. Humans show and share personal interests and needs, and are able to strategically adjust size according to social position, with love and hope being prime factors in the regulation of growth. In contrast to Western societies, where body size has been shown to be an important predictor of socioeconomic status, egalitarian societies without formalized hierarchy and material wealth-dependent social status do not appear to similarly integrate body size and social network. Social network structures can be modeled by Monte Carlo simulation. Modeling dominance hierarchies suggests that winner-loser effects play a pivotal role in robust self-organization that transcends the specifics of the individual. Further improvements of the St. Nicolas House analysis using re-sampling/bootstrap techniques yielded encouraging results for exploring dense networks of interacting variables. Customized pediatric growth references, and approaches towards a Digital Rare Disease Growth Chart Library were presented. First attempts with a mobile phone application were presented to investigate the associations between maternal pre-pregnancy overweight, gestational weight gain, and the child’s future motor development. Clinical contributions included growth patterns of individuals with Silver-Russell syndrome, and treatment burden in children with growth hormone deficiency. Contributions on sports highlighted the fallacy inherent in disregarding the biological maturation status when interpreting physical performance outcomes. The meeting explored the complex influence of nutrition and lifestyle on menarcheal age of Lithuanian girls and emphasized regional trends in height of Austrian recruits. Examples of the psychosocial stress caused by the forced migration of modern Kyrgyz children and Polish children after World War II were presented, as well as the effects of nutritional stress during and after World War I. The session concluded with a discussion of recent trends in gun violence affecting children and adolescents in the United States, and aspects of life history theory using the example of "Borderline Personality Disorder." The features of this disorder are consistent with the notion that it reflects a "fast" life history strategy, with higher levels of allostatic load, higher levels of aggression, and greater exposure to both childhood adversity and chronic stress. The results were discussed in light of evolutionary guided research. In all contributions presented here, written informed consent was obtained from all participants in accordance with institutional Human investigation committee guidelines in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki amended October 2013, after information about the procedures used.

Background: The use of ssisted reproductive technologies (ART) such as fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) has increased markedly during the last four decades. ART, however, is still discussed critically, as there is no consensus on whether these treatments have a negative effect on fetal growth or increase the risk of preterm birth, low birth weight, and perinatal complications. Objectives: The aim of this study is the analysis of association patterns between ART (IVF or ICSI) and newborn size, preterm birth rate, and the mode of delivery. Sample and Methods: In this single-center medical record-based study data concerning the conception mode (spontaneous versus IVF or ICSI), preterm birth, newborn sex and size, child presentation, delivery mode, labor induction as well as parity, maternal age, body height, weight, and gestational weight gain of 5867 singleton-term births taking place in Vienna from 2015 to 2023 were included. 178 newborns (3.0%) were conceived by IVF or ICSI. Results: ART (IVF or ICSI) increased the risk of preterm birth by a factor of 3.4, and the risk of emergency cesarean section by a factor 2.3. ART was not independently associated with newborn size as well as breech presentation. The most important factor for newborn size was the gestational week of delivery, but also maternal parameters such as body height, gestational weight gain, and age. Conclusion: Preterm birth is a major cause of small newborn size and complications at birth. Therefore, ART can also be interpreted with caution as an indirect risk factor for small newborn size with all its long-term consequences.

Growth patterns and final body height are influenced by genetic and socio-environmental factors. A major impact of education on growth has been documented. Body height increases with an increasing educational level. The present study focuses on the association patterns between body height and educational level among 1,734,569 Austrian male conscripts aged 17 to

Twenty-four scientists met for the annual Auxological conference held at Krobielowice castle, Poland, to discuss the diverse influences of the environment and of social behavior on growth following last year’s focus on growth and public health concerns (Hermanussen et al., 2022b). Growth and final body size exhibit marked plastic responses to ecological conditions. Among the shortest are the pygmoid people of Rampasasa, Flores, Indonesia, who still live under most secluded insular conditions. Genetics and nutrition are usually considered responsible for the poor growth in many parts of this world, but evidence is accumulating on the prominent impact of social embedding on child growth. Secular trends not only in the growth of height, but also in body proportions, accompany the secular changes in the social, economic and political conditions, with major influences on the emotional and educational circumstances under which the children grow up (Bogin, 2021). Aspects of developmental tempo and aspects of sports were discussed, and the impact of migration by the example of women from Bangladesh who grew up in the UK. Child growth was considered in particular from the point of view of strategic adjustments of individual size within the network of its social group. Theoretical considerations on network characteristics were presented and related to the evolutionary conservation of growth regulating hypothalamic neuropeptides that have been shown to link behavior and physical growth in the vertebrate species. New statistical approaches were presented for the evaluation of short term growth measurements that permit monitoring child growth at intervals of a few days and weeks.

Background: Growth and finally body height are influenced by various intrinsic and extrinsic factors. During the last decades the well documented secular trend of increase in body height slowed down. Overweight and obesity rates increased worldwide from childhood onwards. An association between rising obesity rates and the slowdown of the secular trend in body height might be assumed. Aims: This study focuses on patterns of associations between childhood weight status, socioenvironmental factors, and adolescent body height. It is hypothesized that higher weight during childhood enhances developmental tempo and linear growth, and results in higher body height during adolescence. Sample and methods: In a longitudinal study, the body height, body weight, and Body mass index (BMI) of 1506 randomly selected Viennese children were documented at the age of six, ten, and fifteen years. Weight status according to sex and age and age-specific BMI percentiles were determined. The association between weight status and body height was analyzed. A history of migration and the socioenvironmental background, based on specific characteristics of the residential area, have been included in the analysis. Results: A marked positive association between weight status during childhood, male sex, socioenvironmental factor, the background of migration, and body height at the age of six and ten years could be documented. At the age of fifteen years, however, only male sex and BMI at age ten years were significantly positively associated with height. Conclusion: High weight or obesity during childhood enhances growth during childhood, but no significant associations between weight status and height were observable during adolescence.

Seventeen scientists met for this year’s conference on Auxology held at Krobielowice castle, Poland, to discuss growth and public health concerns. The regulation of growth is complex and besides metabolic and endocrine components including hypothalamic releasing factors, growth hormone and multiple downstream effectors, comprises the full spectrum of the psychosocial, economic and emotional environment including signaling dominance, competence, prestige, or subordination and indulgence, all of this being sensitive to urban or rural lifestyle, the political climate and with marked plasticity throughout history. New statistical techniques (St. Nicolas House Analysis) are presented for analyzing anthropometric variables for public health concerns. The impact of spatial differences on developmental tempo, growth in height, and the prevalence of childhood obesity are discussed as well as the impact of social mobility on obesity, and the benefits of the biopsychosocial status when getting along with socio-economic disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background The marked spatial differences in the prevalence of childhood overweight/obesity rates within cities are mainly due to environmental characteristics of individual intracity areas. This is the first analysis of spatial differences in the prevalence of overweight/obesity among children in the Austrian capital Vienna. Subjects and methods In the medical-record-based study, the weight status of 1611 Viennese school children of lower socioeconomic backgrounds at the ages of six, ten, and 15 years from 46 randomly selected public secondary schools were included. Medical data have been obtained at schools by trained members of the Medical school authority. Besides effects of sex and background of migration, associations between weight status and the natural as well as social environments of the residential and school districts were analyzed. Since the 23 political districts of Vienna differ markedly in socioeconomic and environmental characteristics, a comparison between the districts was carried out. Results Especially high overweight and obesity rates were found for the socially disadvantaged areas of the 10th, 12th, and 15th political district of Vienna. Children living and attending schools in better-off districts had lower rates of overweight and obesity, despite their low social status. The most important factors influencing overweight and obesity were parameters of the social environment and characteristics of the residential area of the children. Significant associations between the body mass index and unemployment rates, average monthly income, the educational level of the district population, the proportion of migrants in the district, and sociodemographic cluster areas could be observed. This was equally true for girls and boys, as well as children with or without a migrant background. Conclusion In general, socially disadvantaged, inner-city areas showed extremely high prevalence rates of obesity.

Background Primary headache disorders such as migraine and tension-type headaches represent an important public health problem. Besides genetic factors, environmental parameters, and, in particular, recent lifestyle patterns may contribute to the increasing prevalence of headache disorders. Sample and methods 173 women, between the ages of 18 and 65 years, were enrolled in the present study. The present study focuses on the association between recent lifestyle patterns such as physical activity, time spent outdoors, time spent in front of TV or computer screens, nicotine consumption, weight status as well as chronic stress exposure, and the duration and intensity of migraine and tension-type headaches (TTHs) in a female sample from Austria. An extensive online questionnaire, consisting of 72 questions regarding sociodemographic background, headache anamnesis, lifestyle factors, such as sleep, and physical activity patterns, was distributed via online platforms by means of a snowball sampling system. Additionally, chronic stress was measured using the Trier Inventory for Chronic Stress. Results Participants suffering from migraine were significantly older than women suffering from tension-type headaches (TTHs) and migraine. Age was significantly associated with migraine attack frequency. Women suffering from tension-type headaches (TTH) intensity showed significant associations with physical exercise, sleep, and chronic stress. Fewer hours of exercise and higher stress were connected with higher pain intensity. Migraine frequency, in contrast, correlated with daily hours spent in front of computer screen, while stress and physical exercise did not show associations with migraines. Conclusion The study showed that lifestyle factors may be associated with and may have effects on primary headache disorders, especially tension-type headaches.

In 2007, for the first time worldwide, more people lived in urban conurbations than in rural settlement structures. This advancing urbanization has dramatically altered the living situation, the use of space, as well as human behavior along with the health situation and disease burden. This process began in Europe as early as the 19th century, while developing and emerging countries in particular are currently exposed to increasing urbanization. The burden of disease is clearly altered by living in a confined space, by environmental pollution in urban areas, the impossibility of producing food oneself, and being lost in an anonymous crowd. While city air made people “free” in medieval times, it often makes them “sick” today. Obesogenic environments represent a special problem in urban areas. A lack of physical activity, adverse dietary habits, and stressful and unsafe neighborhoods increase the risk of becoming overweight and obese in urban centers. Recently, modernization in rural areas and an adaptation to urban habits there increase the obesity rates in rural areas in high-income as well as low- and middle-income countries, too. Within cities, marked spatial differences in the prevalence of overweight and obesity occur. In Vienna, Austria, overweight and obesity rates during childhood and adolescence differ markedly between the individual Viennese districts. Highest overweight and obesity rates occur in districts characterized by a low socioeconomic status.

Twenty-one scientists met for this year’s virtual conference on Auxology held at the University Potsdam, Germany, to discuss child and adolescent growth during times of fear and emotional stress. Growth within the broad range of normal for age and sex is considered a sign of good general health whereas fear and emotional stress can lead to growth faltering. Stunting is a sign of social disadvantage and poor parental education. Adverse childhood experiences affect child development, particularly in families with low parental education and low socioeconomic status. Negative effects were also shown in Indian children exposed prenatally and in early postnatal life to the cyclone Aila in 2009. Distrust, fears and fake news regarding the current Corona pandemic received particular attention though the effects generally appeared weak. Mean birth weight was higher; rates of low, very and extremely low birth weight were lower. Other topics discussed by the participants, were the influences of economic crises on birth weight, the measurement of self-confidence and its impact on growth, the associations between obesity, peer relationship, and behavior among Turkish adolescents, height trends in Indonesia, physiological neonatal weight loss, methods for assessing biological maturation in sportsmen, and a new method for skeletal age determination. The participants also discussed the association between acute myocardial infarction and somatotype in Estonia, rural-urban growth differences in Mongolian children, socio-environmental conditions and sexual dimorphism, biological mortality bias, and new statistical techniques for describing inhomogeneity in the association of bivariate variables, and for detecting and visualizing extensive interactions among variables.