Age differences in somatotypes of Garhwali males 17-60 years of age

Changes in somatotype with age were investigated in a cross-sectional sample of 400 Garhwali men from northwest India. The subjects, 17-60 years of age, were somatotyped with the Heath-Carter anthropometric protocol. The overall mean somatotype was 3.0-3.7-3.1. A one-way MANOVA indicated significant differences among the nine age groups. Pairwise comparisons using Hotelling's T-2 showed significant differences between men up to 29 years and those over 30 years. Garhwali men 30+ years of age were more endomorphic and less ectomorphic than younger men. The mean somatotype for men 30+ years was 3.3-3.9-2.7 and for men <30 years was 2.8-3.3-3.9. Endomorphy and mesomorphy increased with age with a reciprocal decrease in ectomorphy up to 55 years; the trend was somewhat reversed thereafter. The somatotype categories mesomorphic ectomorph and mesomorph-ectomorph included the greatest proportion of Garhwali men <30 years; maximum percentages of men 30+ years belonged to the mesomorph-endomorph, endomorphic mesomorph and mesomorphic endomorph categories. Garhwali men were more ectomorphic and less endomorphic and mesomorphic than Canadians. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.