SOMATOTYPES OF THE NON-ATHLETE MEITEI BOYS OF BARAK VALLEY ASSAM -INDIA
Abstract
Anthropometric Somatotypes of the non-athlete boys belonging to Meitei ethnic group of Barak Valley, the valley along the river Barak that covers the three southernmost districts of Assam state, India viz. Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi have been studied following Heath-Carter method in a cross sectional sample of 914 subjects ranging in age from 12 to 18 years. 460 of the boys belong to affluent families and 454 to non-affluent families. The affluent non-athlete boys showed higher ratings of endomorphy than their non-affluent counterparts, whereas the non-affluent non-athlete boys were more ectomorphs than the affluent non-athlete boys. Mesomorphic ratings have no notable difference between the two groups. All the three ratings do change with age during adolescence. But no regular trend has been seen and no distinctive change corresponding to adolescent growth spurt has also been observed. The mean somatotype for the affluent boys was calculated to be 2.6 – 3.3 – 4.0 and for the non- affluent boys 2.3 – 3.4 – 4.2. In the affluent group, somatotype changed from mesomorph-ectomorph (during 12 to 15 years) to mesomorphic ectomorph (during 16 to 18 years). The non-affluent boys belonged to mesomorph-ectomorph (during 12 to 16 years) and mesomorphic ectomorph (during 17 and 18 years).
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References
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