Identification of asymmetries between longitudinal parameters and anthropometric proportionality ratios in children aged between 7 - 10 years

Abstract

(The present study pursued the investigation of anthropometric asymmetries regarding the length of the upper and lower limbs and the indices of body proportionality and had the fol-lowing ob-jectives: identifying the differences between the female and male groups, in the 4 age categories (7, 8, 9 and 10 years old), regarding anthropometric parameters and proportionality indicators; also tried to identify the differences in anthropometric parameters and proportional-ity indicators between the 4 age categories (7 - 10 years old) for each gender (female, respectively male). The study included 727 subjects with the age between 7-10 years, of which 383 (52.7%) fe-male and 344 (47.3%) male, the subjects being divided into four groups according to age (7, 8, 9 and 10 years old groups). The measurements aimed at the following longitudinal anthropomet-ric parameters and the calculation of proportionality ratios: height (cm); the length of the right upper limb (cm – LUL Right); the length of the left upper limb (cm – LUL Left); the length of the right lower limb (cm - LLL Right); the length of the left lower limb (cm - LLL Left); ratio of LUL Right X 100 / LLL Right; ratio of LUL Left x 100 / LLL Left; ratio of LUL Right x 100 / height; ratio of LUL Left x 100 / height; ratio of LLL Right x 100 / height; ratio of LLL_Left x 100/ height. Analyzing ccompara-tively the results recorded between the upper and lower right and left segments, we find asym-metry in all samples according to age and gender. The differ-ences between the groups of girls and boys, in all age categories, were statistically significant. The ANOVA analysis reflects statis-tically significant differences between the 4 age groups (7 - 10 years) in all anthropometric evalu-ations. The largest asymmetries between the right and left upper limb were recorded in the age category of 7 years old group; respectively, the largest asymmetries between the lower limbs were recorded in the 10 year old groups depending on gender.

Keywords

• longitudinal anthropometric dimensions
• segmental laterality
• anthropometric asymmetries
• limb length
• height
• gender and age differences