Somatotype of children and adolescent the city of Londrina, Paraná, Brazil

Abstract

This study analyses somatotype components with relation to chronological age and gender, in members of the child and adolescent population of the city of Londrina, Paraná, Brazil. The sample comprised 1180 subjects from 7 to 17 years old selected at random. Somatotypes were determined by the Heath-Carter anthropometric method. From the results obtained it was concluded that endomorphy in boys was affected little by change in age, whereas in girls it exhibited increasing values, in particular from the start of adolescence on. Mesomorphy decreased slightly in both sexes year by year. Ectomorphy gradually increased from 7 to 12 years in girls and then tends to decline once more. The boys reached their highest levels in this component at age 16. On average, endomorphy was greater in girls than in boys at all ages. In contrast, boys exhibited consistently higher mesomorphy and ectomorphy values . Comparisons with other studies suggest similarities in the distribution of somatotype components, but point to signifi cant differences in their dimensions.