Population and sex differences in arm circumference and skinfold thicknesses among Indo-Pakistani children living in the East Midlands of Britain

Arm circumference, triceps and subscapular skinfold thicknesses of 2224 Indo-Pakistani children aged 3-10.9 years living in Nottingham and Leicestershire were measured. The children were classified into populations according to country of origin, and religion, prior to analysis. Significant between-population differences were shown for all three variables, the effect being stronger in males than in females. Sex differences in arm circumference and triceps skinfold thickness were greater than those found in the British reference populations, whilst the patterns of fat distribution differed from the British standards for all the Indo-Pakistani populations, male and female.