Somatotypes of children in different areas of Indonesia

Abstract

Background: Human populations consist of individuals who differ widely in body shape and size. Somatotypes
are morpho-phenotypic ranges along continua of variation, which possess constantly recognizable
characteristics and are the functional end products of the whole genetic and the developmental complex.
Objective: The objective of this cross-sectional study was to establish the somatotypes of urban, agricultural
and fishing village children in Indonesia.
Method: Anthropometric somatotypes of children are considered in a cross-sectional sample of schoolgoing,
ranging in age from 7-15 years. A total numbers 1716 (816 boys and 900 girls) consist of children
in urban Yogyakarta (340 boys and 371 girls), agricultural Bantul (222 boys and 243 girls), and fishing
Padang (254 boys and 286 girls). Heath-Carter somatotypes were determined for all subjects.
Result: The Yogyakarta children were taller and heavier than their agricultural and fishing counterparts in
both sexes. The Yogyakarta children (urban) were more endomorphic, mesomorphic, and less ectomorphic
than the Bantul and Padang children. The Padang children (fishing village) were more ectomorphic and less
endomorphic than the Yogyakarta and Bantul children. The mean somatotype of boys and girls were 3.8 –
3.6 – 3.7 and 4.2 – 3.1 – 3.6 (in urban city, respectively), 2.8 – 3.2 – 4.1 and 3.5 – 2.9 – 3.9 (in an
agricultural village, respectively), and 2.5 – 3.5 – 3.8 and 3.5 – 3.1 – 3.5 (in fishing village, respectively).
Conclusion: The finding indicated among the Indonesian children, the distribution of somatotype according
to age was different between urban Yogyakarta, agricultural Bantul and fishing Padang. In general, the
well-off children were more endomorphic, and the low-income children were more ectomorphic.
Key words: somatotype anthropometric – urban, agricultural, and fishing village children