VARIABILITY OF SOMATOTYPES ACCORDING TO HEATH-CARTER IN ADULT CHUVASH PEOPLE

Abstract

Introduction. In the range of topical problems of modern human morphology, the doctrine of bodily constitution occupies an important place, but there is a shortage of data on population variability of somatotypes in the literature. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to study age and sex variations in body composition components using the Heath-Carter method in the Chuvash rural population examined in several villages in the Mariinsky-Posad, Morgaushsky and Yadrinsky districts of Chuvashia and Chuvash villages in the Aurgazinsky and Bizhbulyaksky districts of Bashkiria. The tasks included the determination and analysis of somatotypes according to Heath-Carter of men and women in age subgroups of adult Chuvash and assessment of age-related variability of sexual dimorphism of somatotype scores. Materials and methods. The study sample consists of 802 men aged 18–89 years (M = 46.9) and 738 women aged 18–90 years (M = 48.6) examined in 1994, 1999 and 2002. Age and sex differences were assessed using one-way analysis of variance. Mahalanobis distances were used to rate the sexual dimorphism of somatotype components. Results and discussion. Sex differences in the assessment of somatotype variations in the Chuvash population turn out to be most significant for the characteristics of endomorphy, with higher values in women. The values of endomorphy in men after 30 years practically did not change, but in women it continued to increase until the 6th decade, and then decreased with age. There were practically no differences in the mesomorphy; very small differences were found in ectomorphy between men and women aged 18-30 years. Mesomorphy increases from 18-30 years to 50 in both sexes; the ectomorphy shows opposite age trends. A leveling of sex differences in all body composition components was recorded in the older part of the combined sample (70 – 80 years old). Conclusions. Local patterns of age-related variability in body composition components for ethnic Chuvash are shown. For the first time, using representative material, indicators of sexual dimorphism have been determined for the complex of components of endomorphy, mesomorphy and ectomorphy in the Chuvash, showing the maximum intersexual differences in the age range of 41-60 years. A predominance of endomesomorphic body types in both sexes was revealed, with a tendency towards balanced mesomorphy in men (the youngest male subgroup is characterized by an ectomesomorphic somatotype).