A Study on Somatotype of Dong Children and Adolescent with Heath-Carter Anthropometric Method

Somatotype of Dong children and adolescents aged 7 to 17 years was analysed in a group of 989(492 boys,497 girls) in Hunan province with Heath-Carter anthropometric method.The results showed that major somatotpye of boys was ectomorphic mesomorphy,while those of girls was in a trend from mesomorph-Ectomorphy to balanced endomorphy with their growth and development.And the somatotptes in boys aged 7 to 17 years were with mesomorphy,while those in girls aged 7 to 12 years were with ectomorphy,but in aged 13 to 15 years,it shifted from ectomorphy to endomorphy,and till 16 to 17 years,the major somatotpye were endomorphy.The above finding indicated that there was significant difference on somatotpye development between boys and girls.Futherwhile,from comparing Dong children and adolescents' somatotpye means with those of other groups in China,it is concluded that there are differences among different ethnic groups.