Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Synthetical analysis of human somatotype is late in China, and there are relatively less documents, especially for certain occupational groups.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the somatotype components and somatotype characteristics of the Han brain workers of Dongying region of Shandong province, and to analyze the difference caused by gender and age. 
METHODS: The Heath-Carter anthropometric somatotyping method was used to measure 525 healthy participants including 264 male and 261 female brain workers selected from Dongying. They were divided into groups by gender and age. The somatotype components were calculated and compared by t-test and analysis of variance to test differences among the somatotype means and the somatotype attitudinal distance (SAD). 
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The somatotype means and the somatotype distributions and somatotype components of the males was 5.3-4.3-1.7, the ratio of height and body mass was 41.25 and the rate of body fat was 20.41%. The somatotype means and the somatotype distributions and somatotype components of the females were 6.4-3.7-1.1, the ratio of height and body mass was 40.12 and the rate of body fat was 28.75%. There were no significant differences in terms of extrinsic factor and ratio of height and body mass between the sexes (P > 0.05). The mesomorphic means of the males were greater than the females, while the endomorphic means of the females were greater than males (P < 0.01). For the males, the mean somatotypes were mainly mesomorphic, displaying developed skeleton and muscles as well as strong body. For the females, the mean somatotypes were mainly endomorphic, displaying plump body, thick subcutaneous fact and high body fat. The somatotypes means and the somatotype distributions and somatotype components vary with gender and age. The endomorphy of the Han brain workers of Dongying region is relatively greater.