Secular changes in cephalic index-a study of Serbian school children

Abstract

Craniofacial anthropometry is used to determine similarities and differences within a single population or between populations, as well as to determine the secular trends. The aim of the study is to determine differences in the cephalic index of school children from the city of Nis (southeastern Serbia) in two periods-in 1983 and 2010. Subjects were aged 7-15. The first group of subjects (from 1983) included 968 children of both genders, while the second group of subjects (from 2010) included 1037 children, also of both genders. The test was performed according to the instructions of the International Biology Program (IBP). The head length and head breadth were measured, and based on these parameters the cephalic index was determined. The results show that during the time debrachycephalization appeared, because brachycephalic was dominant with the children from 1983, while mesocephalic was dominant with the second group (2010). Genderual dimorphism exists in both groups of subjects.