Estatura y desigualdad nutricional en la España rural mediterránea, 1840-1965: regadío frente a secano / Height and nutritional inequality in rural Mediterranean Spain, 1840-1965: irrigated versus dryland agriculture

Introducción: desde la década de 2000 el estado nutricional de las poblaciones rurales españolas ha sido objeto de estudio por parte de la historia antropométrica. A pesar de este indudable avance, apenas contamos con ensayos comparativos sobre la estatura y la desigualdad biológica entre zonas agrarias de distinta especialización productiva (regadío y secano). Objetivos: analizar la desigualdad del estado nutricional en zonas agrarias de distinta especialización productiva en la España mediterránea (regadío y secano) durante el proceso de modernización. Métodos: usamos los datos de estatura de 146.041 mozos llamados al reclutamiento en diez municipios (72.557 observaciones en regadío y 73.514 en secano). Estimamos promedios de talla, coeficientes de variación y percentiles según zona de secano y regadío. Resultados: entre las cohortes de 1840 y 1965 mejoró el estado nutricional. La altura promedio creció 9,1 cm. En las zonas de regadío fueron más altos que en las de secano (con diferencias de 1,8 cm). Al final del periodo, el mayor incremento de la talla media se registra en el regadío. El análisis de los coeficientes de variación (CV) y de los percentiles muestran, sin embargo, que la desigualdad nutricional fue mayor en las zonas de secano. Conclusiones: se advierten diferencias significativas de talla media según patrones de especialización agraria en la España mediterránea y una clara ventaja relativa en las zonas de riego frente a las de secano. Se discuten distintos factores explicativos que podrían ser futuras líneas de investigación

Introduction: since the 2000s the nutritional status of Spanish rural populations has been studied by anthropometric history. But despite this undoubted progress, we hardly have comparative studies on the height and biological inequality between agrarian zones of different productive specialization (irrigated and dryland agriculture). Objectives: to analyse the nutritional inequality in agrarian zones of different productive specialization in Mediterranean Spain (irrigated and dryland agriculture) during the process of modernization. Methods: we use height data of 146,041 conscripts called for recruitment in ten municipalities (72,557 in irrigated areas and 73,514 in dryland areas). We estimate average height, coefficients of variation and percentiles according to agrarian specialization. Results: between the cohorts of 1840 and 1965 the nutritional status improved. The average height grew 9.1 cm. The conscripts measured in the irrigated areas were higher than the conscripts measured in the dryland areas (differences of 1.8 cm). At the end of the study period, the average height growth was greater in the irrigated ones. The analysis of coefficients of variation (CV) and percentiles show, however, that the nutritional inequality was greater in dryland areas. Conclusions: there are significant differences in the average height according to patterns of agrarian specialization in Mediterranean Spain and a clear relative advantage in irrigated areas versus dryland. Various explanatory factors that could be future research lines are discussed

[Height and nutritional inequality in rural Mediterranean Spain, 1840-1965: irrigated versus dryland agriculture]. / Estatura y desigualdad nutricional en la España rural mediterránea, 1840-1965: regadío frente a secano.

INTRODUCTION: since the 2000s the nutritional status of Spanish rural populations has been studied by anthropometric history. But despite this undoubted progress, we hardly have comparative studies on the height and biological inequality between agrarian zones of different productive specialization (irrigated and dryland agriculture). OBJECTIVES: to analyse the nutritional inequality in agrarian zones of different productive specialization in Mediterranean Spain (irrigated and dryland agriculture) during the process of modernization. METHODS: we use height data of 146,041 conscripts called for recruitment in ten municipalities (72,557 in irrigated areas and 73,514 in dryland areas). We estimate average height, coefficients of variation and percentiles according to agrarian specialization. RESULTS: between the cohorts of 1840 and 1965 the nutritional status improved. The average height grew 9.1 cm. The conscripts measured in the irrigated areas were higher than the conscripts measured in the dryland areas (differences of 1.8 cm). At the end of the study period, the average height growth was greater in the irrigated ones. The analysis of coefficients of variation (CV) and percentiles show, however, that the nutritional inequality was greater in dryland areas. CONCLUSIONS: there are significant differences in the average height according to patterns of agrarian specialization in Mediterranean Spain and a clear relative advantage in irrigated areas versus dryland. Various explanatory factors that could be future research lines are discussed.

Introducción: desde la década de 2000 el estado nutricional de las poblaciones rurales españolas ha sido objeto de estudio por parte de la historia antropométrica. A pesar de este indudable avance, apenas contamos con ensayos comparativos sobre la estatura y la desigualdad biológica entre zonas agrarias de distinta especialización productiva (regadío y secano).Objetivos: analizar la desigualdad del estado nutricional en zonas agrarias de distinta especialización productiva en la España mediterránea (regadío y secano) durante el proceso de modernización.Métodos: usamos los datos de estatura de 146.041 mozos llamados al reclutamiento en diez municipios (72.557 observaciones en regadío y 73.514 en secano). Estimamos promedios de talla, coeficientes de variación y percentiles según zona de secano y regadío.Resultados: entre las cohortes de 1840 y 1965 mejoró el estado nutricional. La altura promedio creció 9,1 cm. En las zonas de regadío fueron más altos que en las de secano (con diferencias de 1,8 cm). Al final del periodo, el mayor incremento de la talla media se registra en el regadío. El análisis de los coeficientes de variación (CV) y de los percentiles muestran, sin embargo, que la desigualdad nutricional fue mayor en las zonas de secano.Conclusiones: se advierten diferencias significativas de talla media según patrones de especialización agraria en la España mediterránea y una clara ventaja relativa en las zonas de riego frente a las de secano. Se discuten distintos factores explicativos que podrían ser futuras líneas de investigación.

Determinants of height and biological inequality in Mediterranean Spain, 1859-1967.

This article analyses not only the determinants of the height of Spain's male populations between 1859 and 1960 but also the influence that social inequality had upon biological well-being. The height data of 82,039 conscripts constitute the principal source for this analysis. The study area comprises the current Valencian region, located in central Mediterranean Spain. During the period under study, the average height of conscripts increased by 7.5cm, while the coefficient of variation decreased by 0.6 between the 1870s and 1930 indicating that height inequality declined, although it increased by 0.2 among the cohorts born during the period of Francoist regime. Our results show that, in the long run, the height and biological well-being of the populations conscripted in Mediterranean Spain were determined by socioeconomic status and environmental contexts: that there was a close correlation among education, occupation, income, and stature. Literate conscripts were always taller than illiterate ones (by nearly 1cm), and agricultural workers, with fewer economic resources, were significantly shorter (by 3.6cm) than highly qualified non-manual workers.