Biological and social correlates of stature among children in the slums of Lima, Peru.

A study of a sample of children with constrasting stature from the slums of Lima, Peru showed that the short children were more likely to have shorter mothers, who had had more pregnancies, less years of schooling, and a greater number of marriages. The results, reported here, suggest that although differences in stature might reflect differences in nutritional background, they are also likely to reflect differences in other important biosocial factors.