Somatotypes of suburban juveniles in Han nationality by Heath-Carter method in Nanning

Objective: To study the somatotype characters and its changes of Han nationality juveniles in Nanning, Guangxi. Methods: Totally, 1 201 Han nationality suburban juveniles (7 to 9 years) of Nanning were measured by Heath-Carter somatotyping method. Results: (1)The endomorphy in the male fluctuated first then increased with the age. The endomorphy increased with the age in the female and that of the female was higher than that of the male at the same age. It was more than 2 times that of the male after 16 years. The mesomorphy of the male decreased first and then increased with the age, while the female decreased. The male and female ectomorphy increased first and then decreased with the age. (2)The main somatotype in the male was mesomorphy ectomorphy; ectomorphy was the main somatotype in the female of 7 to 13 years old; the endomorphy was the main somatotype in the female after 14 years old. (3)There was a significant difference in somatotype between the male and the female in the same age groups. Conclusion: The ectomorphy is the main somatotype in the Han nationality students in Nanning suburban. The somatotype of Han students between Weifang suburban in Shandong and Nanning is similar, and there is a significant difference in the somatotype between the students in the urban and suburban.