A Study on the Physical Growth and Development in Korean

Kim, Jin Ho; Park, Soo Chan; Chang, Myung Hyun; Kim, Chul Jung

Abstract

The physical conditions of the Koreans aged 10-30 were studied by obtaining physical and nutritional indices on a sample of 10,535 males and 7,175 females which were surveyed in 1986 National Anthropometric Survey for the purpose of grasping the state of arts of the physique and physical development of Korean. The summary results are as follows :1. Anthropometric measurements : 1) Compared with the results of 1979 survey, the stature and body weight in young ages increased markdly while the sitting height increased a little or rather decreased in the males aged above 16 and in the females aged above 14. The chest circumference shows similar or rather decreased values compared with that of the past. 2) Compared with the results of 1984 anthropometric survey in Japan, the stature and body weight of the Korean young males and females in ages up to 14 show larger values than those of the Japanese. But in ages above 15, those of the Korean show similar or rather smaller values than those of the Japanese. In chest circumference, the Korean turn out to be smaller than the Japanese up to age 16. 3) Compared with the results of 1977 anthropometric survey in U.S.A., difference in the stature, chest circumference and body weight between the Korean and the American start to appear around age 12, but in sitting height there is no big difference.2. Physical and nutritional indices by ages : 1) The relative body weit to stature increases linearly up to age 16 in the males and up to 14 in the females and is larger in the females than the males at ages between 11 to 13. Compared with the results of 1979, it decreased slightly, which indicates that the growth of stature was more prominent than that of body weight. 2) The relative sitting height to stature decreased by 2-3 points than in 1979 which means that the lower part of the body grows more, and the values in the males at age 14 and in the females at age 12 are smallest. Compared with the Japanese, it shows 2-3 points smaller value. 3) The relative chest circumference shows 1-3 points smaller value compared with that of 1979, but similar vaiue compared with that of the Japanese. 4) The R hrer indices, compared with the 1979 data, become smaller in the males at ages above 12 and larger in the females above 12. But the Korean shows similar R hrer index values compared with the Japanese. 5) The Pelidisi indices of the nutritional status turn out to be increasing with advancing ages and show 2-3 points larger values compared with the past. Compared with the Japanese, the pelidisi indices of the Korean males are similar but those of the Korean females are larger. 6) The surface areas of body increase lineally up to age 15 in the males and age 13 in the females which shows a similar tendency with the past.3. Estimation of mean body weight in the Korean : A equation for the estimation of body weight in the Korean by age, sex and stature is developed.