Abstract: Objective To study the circumference and its variation with age of rural adults in Xiang dialect group.Methods Using random sampling method to measure the circumference values of Xiang dialect group with 410 adults (196 males,214 females)，including the circumference values of head,neck,chest, inspiratory chest circumference values, expiratory chest circumference values, and the circumference values of abdomen,hip,thigh,calf, biceps,fore-arm, Maximum biceps.To analysis the changes of circumference values of different age groups, and then make a comparison of the circumference values of 19 nationalities in China using method of cluster analysis. Results The result of variance analysis showed that there were significant differences between the male and female 11 circumference values (exception of the head circumference ), among age groups. A linear correlation analysis showed, male chest circumference, expiratory chest circumference, abdominal circumference were positively associated with age.,while head, neck, thigh, calf circumference were negatively associated with age.Female chest circumference, inspiration chest circumference, expiration chest circumference, abdomen circumference,and biceps circumference,were positively associated with age. Abdomen, hip, thigh circumference values did not show any significant difference between sex. There was a significant difference among the remaining 9 circumference values in gender, and male’s was significantly higher than that of female. Conclusion Circumference values of rural adult in Xiang dialect group have a significant difference in both of different age groups and gende

Key words: Hu’nan, Circumference, Age, Cluster analysis, Anthropometry, Xiang BR>dialect group BR>