Somatic comparisons at three ages of South Korean males and males of other Asian groups.

Somatic data were collected during July 1995 on 154 males, ages 6, 9, and 15 years, residing in urban Pusan, South Korea, and on 157 age peers residing in rural regions surrounding the city. Comparisons are made between urban and rural groups for measures of body size and form, skinfold thicknesses, the body mass index (BMI), and estimated arm muscle area (ARM). The data were analyzed in 2 (urban-rural) × 3 (age) analyses of variance with an alpha level of P < 0.05. Age differences were evident for all dimensions. A significant main effect for urban-rural differences was found for stature, sitting height, lower limb height, upper limb length, arm girth, calf girth, shoulder width, hip width, body weight, and the sum of skinfolds. Regardless of age, urban children were larger than rural children. The interaction was nonsignificant. Except for the trunk width index, urban and rural boys did not differ on measures of body form. Similar means were obtained for the BMI and ARM in urban and rural boys. Compared with data collected four decades ago, present day 6, 9, and 15 year old males are taller and heavier at every age, indicating secular gains. Pusan males are similar in stature to age peers in Taiwan and Japan, and taller than the Chinese. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 9:493-503, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.