Effect of living conditions on somatotype components of young individuals belonging to different socioeconomic strata: a preliminary study

Abstract

Morphological characteristics of the human body are known to alter among different populations. Genetic factors are without doubt not the only cause of these variations. Independent of sex and age, environmental factors, nutritional habitudes, physical activity, and the socioeconomic status of an individual could cause differences in human body structure. In most anthropological studies, body structure has been determined by body mass index or somatotype components. Studies on the proportional values of the human body are limited. The main aim of the present study is to evaluate the influence of socioeconomic and cultural status on somatotypes of young adults. The study included 100 adult male subjects with a mean age of 19.54 ± 2.44 years. Thirteen anthropometric measurements were taken from all the individuals, and depending on these measurements body mass index and somatotype values were calculated for each subject. Monthly income of the family and the education level of the parents were taken into consideration in order to determine the socioeconomic and cultural status. The results of the study indicate that parental education levels are more influential on body structure when compared with the economic status of the family. Differences between the groups were marked in lower limb measurements, skinfold thicknesses and somatotype values of the subjects, especially in endomorphy component. 

Keywords

• Socioeconomic status,body mass index,somatotype,anthropometry

References

1. Adler NE, Boyce T, Chesney MA, Cohen S, Folkman S, Kahn RL, Syme SL. (1994) Socioeconomic status and health: the challenge of the gradient. Am Psychol 49:15–24.