ABSTRACT
Objective: To investigate the somatotype growth status of youths in rural area of Anhui province. Methods: The Heath-Carter anthropometric method was used to study the somatotype of Han nationality youths aged 7-18 years of 1 678 cases in rural area in Fanchang county of Anhui province. Results: The endomorphic factors in females were more abundant than males, while mesomorphic and ectomorphic factors were less than males. The somatotypes of males and females were changing with growth. Findings indicated that in males mean somatotypes changed slightly with growth, shifting from mesomorph to ectomorph. For females, mean somatotypes varied greatly. Most of individual somatotypes shifted from central throu gh mesomorphic ectomorph to endomorph. C omparisons of males and females somatotype means showed significant dimorphism in 9-18 years groups. As compared to Mongolian and other foreign groups,it was concluded that there were differences among different ethnic groups. Conclusion: Heath-Carter somatotype method has the perspective applications in human nutriology and physical anthropology. Puberty is the crucial period for formation of somatotypes.