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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

Perceived somatotype as indicator of accuracy of body image, a method using somatotype attitudinal distance.

A method intended to assess accuracy of body image was applied to 52 Caucasian girls aged 14 and 15 years. Each girl, after being somatotyped by the Heath-Carter anthropometric method, was asked to select, among ten somatotype standard photographs, the one she perceived closest to her own objective somatotype. The purposes of the research were (i) to measure the distance between the objective and subjective judgements, self-perceived somatotypes by means of the somatotype attitudinal distance, and (ii) to assess the stability of the subjective somatotype by a test-retest correlation. The girls were also asked to select the pictures corresponding to the most preferred and aversive somatotypes. The test-retest coefficients were significant for the three somatotype choices. Hence, the method provides adequate stability and may be employed to reproduce the discrepancies between body image and real body build by a quantitative continuous measure.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

The influence of somatotype on anthropometric prediction of body composition in young women.

The influence of somatotype on the validity of anthropometric prediction of body density (Db) in young women (N = 92) was investigated. Three groups of predominantly endomorph (N = 27), mesomorph (N = 35), and ectomorph (N = 30) women were identified by the Heath-Carter and Sheldon somatotyping methods. Discriminant analysis revealed a 100% accuracy in somatotype group determination. Thirteen diameters, 26 girths, and 8 skinfolds were measured and used in a STEPWISE regression analysis to derive somatotype-specific regression equations to predict body density. Combining all the measures provided very good prediction accuracy in all three groups with multiple correlation coefficients (R) of 0.98, 0.90, and 0.90, and the standard error of estimate (SEE) of 0.003, 0.005, and 0.005 for Db (gm X cc-1) in the endomorphs, mesomorphs, and ectomorphs, respectively. A cross-validation study confirmed the accuracy of the somatotype-specific regression equations and demonstrated an inherent weakness in using some generalized equations on specific somatotypes. The use of non-somatotype-specific equations resulted in mean Db prediction errors ranging from -0.018 to +0.023 gm X cc-1 (8.5 to -10.7% Fat). Although all equations tested demonstrated specific weaknesses in one or more of the somatotype groups when predicting Db, the Jackson et al. (1980) equation performed better than most of the non-somatotype-specific prediction equations. These findings suggest that the anthropometric estimation of Db may not be sample specific in the same manner as had been previously thought and that greater accuracy may be achieved by using regression equations which have been generated on a previously somatotyped population sample.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Somatotype, role and performance in elite volleyball players.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the present study was to examine the importance of the somatometric components of elite male and female volleyball players in relation to their different game roles and levels of performance. METHODS: Two hundred and thirty-four male athletes (aged 24.7+/-4.4 years) and 244 female athletes (aged 23.1+/-4.4 years) from the Italian A1 and A2 volleyball leagues underwent anthropometric measurements during the 1992-1993 and 1993-1994 seasons. Somatotypes were estimated with the Heath-Carter method. RESULTS: Marked sexual dimorphism in somatotype was observed in the total sample. The average somatotype for men was 2.2-4.2-3.2 (SD 0.7-0.9-0.9), and for women it was 3.0-3.3-2.9 (SD 0.8-1.0-0.9). The somatotype was significantly different in players at different levels of performance (A1 vs A2 leagues), as it follows: 2.1-4.1-3.3 (SD 0.6-0.8-0.7) vs 2.3-4.3-3.0 (SD 0.7-1.0-0.8) in males; 2.9-3.1-3.0 (SD 0.8-1.0-0.9) vs 3.1-3.5-2.7 (SD 0.8-0.9-0.8) in females. The somatotype was also significantly different in players in different roles. In male sex the mean somatotypes for setters were 2.4-4.5-2.8 (SD 0.7-0.9-0.8), for centres they were 2.0-4.0-3.5 (SD 0.6-1.0-0.8), for spikers they were 2.2-4.3-3.0 (SD 0.6-0.9-0.7), for opposites they were 2.2-4.3-3.1 (SD 0.6-0.9-0.8). In female sex the mean somatotypes for setters were 3.1-3.6-2.5 (SD 0.8-1.0-1.0), for centres they were 2.8-3.1-3.1 (SD 0.8-0.9-0.7), for spikers they were 3.0-3.5-2.8 (SD 0.9-1.0-0.9) and for opposites they were 3.0-3.2-3.0 (SD 0.7-0.9-0.8). CONCLUSIONS: The physique of athletes in the A1 league is characterized by higher ectomorphy and lower endomorphy and mesomorphy. There is also a slight tendency of male players to a greater homogeneity in somatotype within the group at the maximum level of performance. Moreover somatotype differs in relation to game role in volleyball players of both sexes: the mesomorphic component is maximal in setters, while the ectomorphic component is maximal in centres.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Twin resemblance in somatotype and comparisons with other twin studies.

Twin resemblance in somatotype components was considered in 28 male and 34 female monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs and 19 male and 21 female dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs, 9.3-23.5 years of age. The Heath-Carter anthropometric somatotype method was used. Mean somatotypes of male twins and female twins did not differ, whereas male twins were significantly more mesomorphic than female twins. Twin resemblance was evaluated in two ways: first, treating each somatotype component independently of the other two (as in earlier twin studies), and, second, looking at resemblance in each somatotype component after statistically controlling for the other two components (thus treating the somatotype as a composite). Intraclass correlations were consistently higher in MZ than in DZ twins of both sexes, and within-pair variances were consistently lower in MZ than in DZ twins of both sexes. However, after controlling for the effects of the other two somatotype components, within-pair variances of male MZ and DZ twins for each somatotype component did not differ. In general, Heath-Carter anthropometric somatotype components show (1) significant resemblance in MZ and DZ twins within each sex, although the degree of resemblance is altered in male twins when a different analytic strategy is used, (2) no sex difference in degree of resemblance, and (3) greater resemblance within MZ twin pairs than within DZ twin pairs. These results are compatible with the presence of genetic variation affecting physique in adolescents and young adults.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Factor analysis and somatotyping, are these two physique classification methods comparable?

The aim of this study was to investigate the correspondence of physique structures estimated by the Heath-Carter anthropometric somatotyping method and a factor analysis based on the same set of 10 variables used by Heath-Carter. The investigation was carried out on a group of 200 healthy young adults of 20 years of age who were students of physical education. The mean somatotype was 2.7-4.6-3.0 for the males and 3.3-3.4-3.1 for the females. The 73% of the total variance in males and 75% in females were represented by three factors. They were identified as muscular, fatness and skeletal factors in the males, and in the females as muscular-trunk fatness, skeletal and limb fatness factors. A PCA gives different results depending on the measurements used for the calculation. The same set of variables as for the somatotyping method were used intentionally to extract the PCA factors and to evaluate the possible correspondence between these factors and the Heath-Carter components. On the basis of the correlation between the factors and the somatotype components, one can conclude that there is: (1) a high correspondence between endomorphy and fatness factors in both sexes; (2) that mesomorphy correlated positively with the muscular factor in males and negatively with the skeletal factor in both sexes; and (3) that ectomorphy was highly positively correlated with the skeletal factor and negatively with the other two factors in both sexes. Factors and somatotype components do not correspond exactly which leads to the following conclusions: (1) The three somatotype components cannot be identified as orthogonal factors in a factorial analysis based on the same measurements as for the somatotype, e.g. the ectomorphy component is not an independent factor in males or in females; (2) The muscle measurements and bone width used to estimate mesomorphy in somatotyping scored in two independent factors; and (3) The factor structure of the 10 measurements was sex dependent.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Somatotyping of schizophrenic and affective disorder patients.

INTRODUCTION: Constitutional traits have been found to show a distinct relevance to major psychiatric disorders. Syndromal modified expressivity is also closely related to somatotypic constitution. In this view somatotyping appears valuable in diagnosis and prognosis of mental disorders. AIM: The present study was conducted in an attempt to outline somatotypic characteristics of schizophrenia and affective disorders with the aim of providing a logical basis for diagnosis of these major psychiatric disorders. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The somatotype of 54 schizophrenic and 68 affective disorder inpatients who fulfil the DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia (subjects with schizophreniform, schizoaffective, schizoid and schizotypal personality disorders were excluded from the sample) and affective disorder (bipolar and unipolar) was assessed using the Health-Carter anthropometric method. RESULTS: The overall assessment of the somatotypes determined both groups as endomorphs mesomorphs with somatotype components 4.50-4.44-1.90 for schizophrenic patients and 5.87-5.40-0.36 for affective disorder patients. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant for any of the somatotype components. CONCLUSION: It is suggested that the constitutional and somatotypic characterization appears reasonable element in the multifactorial analysis of diagnostic decisions in these major psychiatric disorders.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Somatotype and angiographically determined atherosclerotic coronary artery disease in men.

The relationship between somatotype and somatotype components with coronary artery disease (CAD) and regional adiposity was considered in 58 males (age 60.2 +/- 9.4 years) undergoing investigative coronary angiography for suspected atherosclerotic CAD. Severity of CAD was determined in terms of both the degree of stenosis and the anatomical position of the lesions on the coronary arteries (myocardial score). Six patients had negative angiographic findings but three of these had impaired left ventricular function as determined by left ventriculography. The mean (+/-SD) somatotype of the group was 5.7 / 5.6 / 1.2 (1.7 / 1.4 / 1.0), illustrating a clear dominance of the first two somatotype components. Canonical correlation analysis showed that somatotype was not significantly related to the angiography results (P > 0.05). However, correlations between the somatotype components and the angiography results with their respective first canonical variates showed that the somatotype variate was one of high mesomorphy and low ectomorphy and the angiography variate was essentially one of a high myocardial score. After adjustment for the confounding interrelationship among the somatotype components, endomorphy was significantly correlated with abdominal circumference (r = 0.65, P < 0.001), the abdomen-to-hip ratio (r = 0.53, P < 0.001) and the abdominal sagittal diameter (r = 0.60, P < 0.001). Mesomorphy was not related to these indicators of android or abdominal adiposity following partial adjustment. Ectomorphy was inversely related to the indices of general and regional adiposity. This study suggests that adiposity and muscularity are important features in terms of increased CAD risk, whereas linearity is beneficial. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 12:128-138, 2000. Copyright 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Journal Article↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Heritability of somatotype components from early adolescence into young adulthood: a multivariate analysis on a longitudinal twin study.

BACKGROUND: Several studies with different designs have attempted to estimate the heritability of somatotype components. However they often ignore the covariation between the three components as well as possible sex and age effects. Shared environmental factors are not always controlled for. AIM: This study explores the pattern of genetic and environmental determination of the variation in Heath-Carter somatotype components from early adolescence into young adulthood. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Data from the Leuven Longitudinal Twin Study, a longitudinal sample of Belgian same-aged twins followed from 10 to 18 years (n = 105 pairs, equally divided over five zygosity groups), is entered into a multivariate path analysis. Thus the covariation between the somatotype components is taken into account, gender heterogeneity can be tested, common environmental influences can be distinguished from genetic effects and age effects are controlled for. RESULTS: Heritability estimates from 10 to 18 years range from 0.21 to 0.88, 0.46 to 0.76 and 0.16 to 0.73 for endomorphy, mesomorphy and ectomorphy in boys. In girls, heritability estimates range from 0.76 to 0.89, 0.36 to 0.57 and 0.57 to 0.76 for the respective somatotype components. Sex differences are significant from 14 years onwards. More than half of the variance in all somatotype components for both sexes at all time points is explained by factors the three components have in common. CONCLUSIONS: The finding of substantial genetic influence on the variability of somatotype components is further supported. The need to consider somatotype as a whole is stressed as well as the need for sex- and perhaps age-specific analyses. Further multivariate analyses are needed to confirm the present findings.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Prediction of adult Sheldon somatotypes I and II from ratings and measurements at childhood ages.

The photographs of 82 boys from the Harpenden Growth Study were assigned somatotype ratings at ages 5, 8, 11, 14, and 18 years, using both Sheldon's earlier, anthroposcopic method and his revised, objective method (somatotype II). Inter-judge correlations for the anthroposcopic ratings of the 18-year-olds ranged from 0.79 to 0.93 for the three components; correlations for the somatotype II ratings ranged from 0.94 to 0.99. The three components of the somatotype II ratings showed greater independence of one another than did those of the anthroposcopic method, which tended to collapse towards two dimensions. Correlations for corresponding components between the anthroposcopic and somatotype II ratings at the same age were mostly in the low 0.80s. Mean somatotype ratings changed little with age in either method, but the somatotype II ratings were consistently higher in endomorphy and mesomorphy and lower in ectomorphy than the anthroposcopic ratings. Patterns of inter-age correlations were similar within methods: endomorphy showed lower age-to-age correlations than did mesomorphy and ectomorphy. Correlations of anthroposcopic component ratings with ratings at age 18 increased distinctly from age 5 to age 8, less sharply thereafter. Between ages 8 and 18, within observer, they were 0.72, 0.83, and 0.82, for endomorphy, mesomorphy, and ectomorphy. These 8-to-18 correlations for mesomorphy and ectomorphy are similar in magnitude to those for height.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Somatotype in high performance female netball players may influence player position and the incidence of lower limb and back injuries.

AIMS: To investigate the relation between somatotype, performance characteristics, and the incidence of injury during the Australian Netball Championships. METHOD: Two hundred and forty high performance netball players competed at the Australian Netball Championships in which 213 (89%) were measured using the Heath-Carter somatotype scale. During these championships, in conjunction with the injury assessments, data analysis included a three factor analysis of variance (level of competition, playing position, and injury) for the dependent somatotype variables (endomorphy, mesomorphy, and ectopmorphy), and the level of significance was set at 0.05. RESULTS: For the three dependent somatotype variables, there were no main effects between endomorphy, mesomorphy, and ectomorphy), and the level of significance was set at 0.05. RESULTS: For the three dependent somatotype variables, there were no main effects between endomorphy, mesomorphy, and ectomorphy and the incidence of injury. However, for the mesomorphy and ectomorphy variables, significant main effects for the playing position were found. No main effects existed between the somatotype variables and levels of competition. CONCLUSION: The somatotype variables did not influence the incidence of injury, but mesomorphy and ectomorphy did influence the different playing positions.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Perceived somatotype, body-cathexis, and attitudes toward clothing among college females.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between perceived somatotype and body-cathexis for female subjects and to determine the perceived ideal somatotype of college females. The relationship between perceived somatotype and attitudes toward fashion and clothing use was also examined. 91 female undergraduates were administered the Perceived Somatotype Scale, the Body-cathexis Scale, and several measures of fashion and clothing interest and use. Analysis of variance indicated that the ectomorphic build was perceived as the ideal somatotype for college females. As subjects' self-perceived somatotype deviated from the ideal and moved toward the mesomorphic and endomorphic, body-cathexis scores decreased. Contrary to stereotypic assumptions, perceived somatotype was unrelated to the fashion and clothing measures.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Perceived somatotype as related to self-concept in Nigerian adolescent high school students.

Some 288 Nigerian high school male adolescents in two different age brackets were administered the perceived somatotype scale and the Tennessee self-concept scale to determine the trend of self-concept ratings among subjects differentiated according to perceived somatotype-self, ideal and self-ideal discrepancy. Series of one-way ANOVA revealed significant differences in global self-concept among the perceived somatotype-self (PSS), the perceived somatotype-ideal (PSI) and perceived somatotype discrepancy (PSD) groups. Univariate analyses showed that the PSS groups differ significantly in all dimensions of self-concept except moral-ethical dimension. The PSI groups differed significantly on all self-concept dimensions except the behavioural and the moral-ethical self subscales. This study, which also revealed that perceived-ideal somatotype and self-ideal somatotype discrepancy differentiated markedly among measures of self-concept, is consistent with those obtained from other parts of the world.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Changes in somatotypes of European males between 17 and 24 years.

In order to examine the possible changes in somatotype of young males, 14 boys who had been somatotyped annually from 11 to 18 years by the Health-Carter anthropometric rating method were re-somatotyped at 24 years. The analysis focused on years 17, 18 and 24. Discriminant analysis, somatotype dispersion indices and distances, and the I-index were used to analyze the data. The findings showed a significant shift in somatotype from ectomorphmesomorph towards endo-mesomorphy between 17 and 24 years. This shift was greater than that observed by Zuk ('58), and was in the same direction. It is hypothesized that the somatotypes of males become more endo-mesomorphic from 17 years to the mid-twenties.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Somatotype and longevity of former university athletes and nonathletes.

A longitudinal study was conducted on 398 athletes and 369 nonathletes who were born before 1920 and attended Michigan State University. The subjects were compared to determine if intercollegiate athletic competition accounts for significant variation in longevity when considered with somatotype. Because some of the subjects were still alive at the time of the study, the BMDP Statistical Software was used to do a survival analysis with covariates. Preliminary comparisons considered the differences in somatotype between athletes and nonathletes. Two sample t-tests indicated that athletes were more mesomorphic and less ectomorphic (p less than .05) than nonathletes. When comparing the relationship between somatotype and longevity, the pooled data of athletes and nonathletes indicated that endomorphs were shorter lived than the other three comparison groups. When only the athletes were considered, similar results were found. However, the nonathlete group exhibited differences only between the mesomorphic and endomorphic groups. The endomorphs were shorter lived. Longevity was examined by using the Cox proportional hazards regression method with somatotype and athlete/nonathlete status as covariates. Somatotype, by itself, was found to be significantly related to longevity, (p less than .001). Athletic status was not significantly related to longevity, either by itself or when entered into the model with somatotype.

Age Factors↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Familial resemblance for physique: heritabilities for somatotype components.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: To examine familial resemblance in the Heath-Carter anthropometric somatotype in a sample of 328 participants from 103 nuclear families in Northern Ontario (Canada). METHODS AND PROCEDURES: The three somatotype components (endomorphy, mesomorphy, ectomorphy) were subjected to principal components analysis and the resulting first principal component (PCI) was used as an additional index of physique. The four phenotypes were adjusted for age, sex and generation effects, while each of the three somatotype components was further adjusted for the effects of the other two components using regression procedures. A familial correlation model was fit to the data and used to estimate the degree of familial resemblance in somatotype. MAIN OUTCOME AND RESULTS: For all somatotype variables, the most parsimonious model was one in which there was no spouse resemblance and no sex or generation effects in the familial correlations. Maximal heritabilities were 56%, 68%, 56% and 64% for endomorphy, mesomorphy, ectomorphy and PCI, respectively, indicating significant familial resemblance for the Heath-Carter anthropometric somatotype. Further, the pattern of familial correlations suggests the role of genetic factors in explaining variation in human physique. CONCLUSIONS: In general, a pattern of no spouse but significant parent-child correlations implicates the role of genes on human physique, provided that mating is random with regard to these traits.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Somatotype, nutrition, and obesity.

UNLABELLED: The purpose of this investigation is to evaluate the somatotype characteristics of the studied group and search for a relation between somatotype, obesity, and particular features of nutrition. METHODS: Somatotype after Health & Carter (1990), nutritional status according to Body mass index (BMI), and nutrition determined by food-frequency questionnaires. RESULTS: Over 94% of the subjects in this study were distributed into five somatotype categories: 51.6% endomorphic mesomorphs, 17.1% mesomorph-endomorphs, 16.7% mesomorphic endomorphs, 6.1% balanced mesomorphs, and 3.0% ectomorphic mesomorphs, with a pronounced sexual dimorphism. Males were distributed into five categories: over 65% were endomorphic mesomorphs, and above 40 years of age the mesomorphy increased. Females were distributed into three somatotype categories: up to and above 40 years of age over 44% were mesomorphic endomorphs. In the most common somatotype categories, 1 of 5 subjects (from 21.4% to 19.9%) had normal body mass (< 25 kg/m2), 4 of 5 subjects (from 34.2% to 52.6%) were overweight (> 25 kg/m2) or obese (> 30 kg/m2) kg/m2 (from 44.4% to 27.5%). In the remaining eight categories, all subjects had normal body mass. Hyperenergetic, sodium- and fat-excess nutrition had an especially unfavorable influence.

Adult↗