ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: There are many methods for investigating the physical development and the somatotype of child. Among them, Heath-Carter so matotype method is a comprehensive evaluation method on somatotype. In this method, 10 items of anthropometric indicators are selected from several dozens of items as assessment indicators for development and somatotype.OBJECTIVE: To analyze the rules and characteristics of soma totype development of Hah children in rural area of Huludao city, so as to supplement the essential data for physical anthropology.DESIGN: Normal children were chosen as the subjects, and cross-sectional investigation was carried out.SETTING: Department of Anatomy, Jinzhou Medical College. PARTICIPANTS: With cluster sampling, the Han children between 7 to 10 years old were selected from central primary school of Mingshuixiang Village of Suizhong County of Huludao city from July 2001 to September 2003. All the selected children should be verified healthy by physical examination at school. The children were divided into two groups according to gender, and each group was divided into 4 subgroups according to age,with 46 to 63 members in each group. There were 8 groups altogether.Complete data of 408 children were collected (male 213, female 195).METHODS: Each indicator was measured twice with Heath-Carter soma to type method and selected the average value. Specialists were responsible for the 10 indicators, and a database was established in computer according to age and gender. Calculated the following indicators in turn: endomorphic factor, mesomorphic factor and ectomorphic factor, coordinate values of X and Y on somatotype chart, Height/Weight1/3, mean of dimensional distances from the average somatotype to all somatotypes in the sample,difference between the two somatotypes in three-dimensional space, percentage of body fat and frequency distribution of each somatotype.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Height, body mass, upper arm circum ference, calf circumference, intracondylar diameters of humerus and femur,skinfold of brachial triceps, subscapular skinfold, skinfold of anterosuperior iliac spine, skinfold of gastrocnemius muscle.RESULTS: All the 408 children entered results analysis. ①Height and body mass of 7 to 10 year old children increased as age went up, indicators of Height/Weight1/3 of 7,8,10 year old girls were higher than boys, that of 9 years old boys was higber than girls, which were related to that the growth of height of 8 & 9 year old boys (5.61 cm) was more than girls (3.88 cm).The content of body fat of girls was more than boys. The 3 somatotype values were 3.2-3.9, 2.3-2.6 and 3.0-3.4 in boys and 3.5-4.6, 1.9-2.6 and 3.3-3.5 in girls, so endomorphic factor and ectomorphic factor were the main factors both in girls and boys, and endomorphic gene in girls was higher than boys, which indicated that the content of body fat of rural children in Hulutao city was relatively high, their bodies were finely high and thin, their skeletal muscle was not so muscular and the hypodermic fat in girls was more abundant. Seen from the comparison of somatotype between boys and girls in each age group, the differences between two somatotypes in the three dimensional space of 7-, 8-, 9-, 10-11 year old groups were 0.46, 0.68, 1.03 and 0.61 respectively, except 7-year old group, there were significant differences in somatotype of boys and girls between each age groups (P ＜ 0.01). ②The average value of somatotype of Han boys in rural area was 3.4-2.5-3.2, which belonged to medial type; that of girls was 4.0-2.3-3.4, which beglonged to ectomorphic endomorphic type. Endomorphic factor and ectomorphic factor were the dominant factors both in boys and girls, whereas mesomorphic factor was relatively low; the frequency of somatotype kept changing as the increase of age. ③Compared with the data at home and abroad, the endomorphic factor of the Han children in rural area in Huludao City was relatively high, while the mesomorphic factor was relatively low, and the ectomorphic factor was almost the same.CONCLUSION: The somatotype of Han children in rural area in Huludao City develops better. Their heights are tall, whereas their skeletal muscles are not so muscular. Somatotype development of children is diversified with age.