摘要：The aim of this study was to compare the data on height of Hvar islanders collected from two transversal studies (1978/1979 and during the 1994). The first field research covered a total of 935 inhabitants of the island (484 males and 451 females) aged between 20 and 72 years, from five villages of the western part (Dol, Vrbanj, Svirče, Vrisnik, Pitve) and four villages of the eastern part of the island of Hvar (Poljica, Zastražišće, Gdinj, Bogomolje). The second field research was carried out in 1994 that enrolled total of 189 participants (82 males and 107 females) from the villages Dol, Vrbanj, Svirče, Zastražišće, Gdinj and Bogomolje. Comparison of data on Hvar adults since these two periods demonstrated a secular increase in average height for females and males in all investigated villages except in the village of Gdinj. Negative secular trend in village of Gdinj was observed for both female and male inhabitants. Possible explanation for this trend could be the specific migratory patterns and traditional practice of endogamy.
