Growth and Politics - Proceedings of the 33rd Aschauer Soirée held in Horoměřice near Prague, November 22nd, 2025

Michael Hermanussen; Christiane Scheffler; Lawrence M. Schell; Aleksandra Gomuła; Natalia Nowak-Szczepanska; Abhijeet Singh Dewari; Sławomir Kozieł; Barry Bogin; Başak Koca Özer; İsmail Özer; Ayşegül Özdemir Başaran; Sylvia Kirchengast; Detlef Groth; Sylvia Bartkowiak; Jan Konarski; Jani Söderhäll; Chris Jefferies; Simona Sulis; Elena Godina; Janina Tutkuviene; Piotr Fedurek; Thomas Schulze; Anna Apanasewicz-Grzegorczyk; Chipo Malambo; Pavlína Hušková; Klára Jahodová; Jáchym Šimsa; Markéta Buřilová; Martin Musalek

doi:10.52905/hbph2026.133

Authors

Michael Hermanussen https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4037-1597
Christiane Scheffler University of Potsdam, IBB, Human Biology, 14469 Potsdam, Germany https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1954-7578
Lawrence M. Schell Department of Anthropology, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistic, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY USA
Aleksandra Gomuła Department of Anthropology, Ludwik Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wrocław, Poland
Natalia Nowak-Szczepanska Department of Anthropology, Ludwik Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wrocław, Poland
Abhijeet Singh Dewari Laboratory of Kinanthropometry, Ergonomics and Physiological Anthropology, Department of Anthropology, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007 https://orcid.org/0009-0006-5156-4692
Sławomir Kozieł Department of Anthropology, Ludwik Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wrocław, Poland
Barry Bogin School of Sport, Exercise & Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough LE113TU, United Kingdom https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1688-0087
Başak Koca Özer Ankara University, Faculty of Languages, History and Geography, Department of Anthropology, 06100 Ankara, Türkiye https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3171-1599
İsmail Özer Ankara University, Faculty of Languages, History and Geography, Department of Anthropology, 06100 Ankara, Türkiye https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3859-2326
Ayşegül Özdemir Başaran Hatay Mustafa Kemal University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Anthropology, Hatay, Türkiye https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8397-4622
Sylvia Kirchengast University of Vienna, Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
Detlef Groth University of Potsdam, IBB, Biostatistics, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
Sylvia Bartkowiak Poznań University of Physical Education, Department of Theory of Sports, Poznań, Greater Poland, Poland
Jan Konarski Poznań University of Physical Education, Department of Theory of Sports, Poznań, Greater Poland, Poland https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1861-6201
Jani Söderhäll PC PAL, 91570 Bièvres, France https://orcid.org/0009-0005-8848-1172
Chris Jefferies PC PAL, Worcester, UK
Simona Sulis Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1570-1470
Elena Godina Research Institute and Museum of Anthropology, Lomonosov Moscow State University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0692-420X
Janina Tutkuviene Department of Anatomy, Histology and Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, M.K. Ciurlionio str. 21, LT-03101, Vilnius, Lithuania
Piotr Fedurek Department of Anthropology, Ludwik Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wrocław, Poland https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3620-6839
Thomas Schulze Eir/Genix and FundaMental Pharma GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany
Anna Apanasewicz-Grzegorczyk Department of Anthropology, Ludwik Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wrocław, Poland
Chipo Malambo Faculty of Physical Education and Sport (FTVS), Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7369-8102
Pavlína Hušková Faculty of Physical Education and Sport (FTVS), Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic https://orcid.org/0009-0002-8144-1686
Klára Jahodová Faculty of Physical Education and Sport (FTVS), Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
Jáchym Šimsa Department of Military Physical Education, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Charles University, José Martího 269/31, Prague 6, 162 52, Czech Republic
Markéta Buřilová Faculty of Physical Education and Sport (FTVS), Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic https://orcid.org/0009-0006-1590-0230
Martin Musalek Department of Social Sciences Foundation in Kinanthropology, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Charles University, José Martího 269/31, 162 52, Prague, Czech Republic https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1070-8304

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52905/hbph2026.133

Keywords:

strategic growth, SEPE factors, political influences on height, culture

Abstract

Twenty-nine scientists met for the annual Auxological conference, held in Horoměřice near Prague, Czech Republic, and discussed aspects of environment and politics related to human growth using data from various European countries, India, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Exposures to Social, Economic, Political, and Emotional (SEPE) factors were associated with physical growth, health, and aging. Secular changes were associated with socio-economic gradients in conscripts, addressing political views, feelings of political liberation, and illusions of equity and freedom. New BMI charts were presented to better interpret BMI trends over time, and new blood pressure charts. The need for context-specific national screening standards was discussed. Mating preferences were examined in light of cultural ecology and personal ideology, and changes in birth weight and the sex ratio were examined in relation to socio-economic factors, political events, and COVID-19, as well as studies on cognitive and motor functions in preschool children, the influence of fine motor skills, visual attention, and visuomotor coordination on school readiness. Aspects of maturation in adolescent field hockey players were addressed, and obesity and health risks among Czech Artillery soldiers. The influence of alcohol and tobacco use on bone quality was discussed in view of physical activity and body composition, and statistical improvements to visualize causality in association chains to better understand the multiple interactions within biological networks. The meeting also addressed an evolutionary perspective on human pelvic size, work on body height in late Geometric-Roman and Medieval populations, aspects of biotechnology in conjunction with AI.

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