The Physical Growth of Children in Iwate Prefecture from the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s: A Literature Review

ABSTRACT

Until the mid-1960s, municipal areas were distinct in northern Japan’s Iwate Prefecture, and included the following: urban areas (Morioka), steel industrial areas (Kamaishi), rice granary areas, millet-producing areas, and fishery towns. The sub-optimal physiques of children in millet-producing areas was reported and was a known public health concern. This paper examines the historic physical growth of children in Iwate Prefecture between the mid-1950s and the mid-1970s using municipal statistics from the Iwate Prefectural Library. The heights and weights of children in Morioka, Kamaishi, and Ofunato (a large-scale fishery town) were greater than or comparable to the national average. In contrast, children in millet-producing areas were 3–5 cm shorter. Following improvements in medical care, hygiene, dietary habits, housing, and social infrastructure, the height of these children reached the national average, and excess body weight was observed in the mid-1970s.

KEYWORDS:

• Children’s growth
• Iwate Prefecture
• urban–rural disparity
• millet-producing area

Acknowledgements

The author would like to express appreciation for the assistance of the staff of Iwate Prefectural Library. The author is also grateful to Mr. Norio Nakamura for providing a great deal of useful knowledge on the Kunohe District.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

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Takahiro Mitsui

Takahiro Mitsui is an associate professor at the Department of Home Economics, Faculty of Education, Iwate University. In addition to nitrate metabolism in the intestine, he is also interested in research on local diet and health. Twenty years ago, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and was a visiting researcher at the University of Dundee.