Somatometric Classification on the Lower Body of Early Elementary Schoolgirls

학령전기 여아의 하반신 체형 유형분석 - 부산 및 경남지역을 중심으로 -

This study was done to provide the fundamental data for scientific and rational children's clothing sizing system by investigating their somatometric characteristics and classifying somatotypes. The subjects were 269 elementary schoolgirls aged from 7 to 8 years old living in Pusan and Kyungsangnam-do. Data from each girl comprises 28 anthropometic measurments and 4 photographic measurments, related to the lower half of body. To analyze somatotypes of the lower half of body, factor analysis, cluster analysis, discriminant analysis were performed for statistical analysis of the data. As to the analysis to draw somatometric factors by this age group, five factors which explain 76.85% of the whole variances were extracted. The first and second factors which explain more than 60% of the whole variances represent 'horizontal size'and 'vertical size', which characterize most aspects of the body shape of the subjects. On the basis of the cluster analysis, three different lower half of body types were categorized. Type Ⅰ has biggest horizontal size, average vertical size and most protruded belly. Type Ⅱ has average degree of horizontal size, quite big vertical size and most protruded hips. Type Ⅲ has smallest horizontal and vertical size. According to the analysis to discriminate somatotypes of the lower half of body of this age group, weight and waist circumference of discriminant function 1 and abdominal circumference of discriminant function 2 have coefficient values.