Abstract:

Objective To analyse body indices of Han male in China，and to explore the differences of Han body indexes in different areas. Methods Nine physical indexes of 8174 males in rural areas were measured in 36 survey areas (15 northern regions and 21 southern regions) from 2009 to 2013. Indexes of 36 ethnic groups were analyzed with cluster analysis and principal component analysis(PCA). Results Cluster analysis showed that there were significant differences in body characteristics between northern Han and southern Han. The result of PCA showed that most of the northern populations had higher principal component(PCI) values, such as height, body weight, foot length, sitting height and hip circumference than that of the southern populations. The shoulder widths of the northern and southern populations were staggered, indicating that the size of the shoulder width is not a sign of discrimination between the southern and northern populations. Conclusion Genetic factors on the formation of body characteristics have an important impact on the environmental factors, and the economic development level of body development also has an important role.

Key words: Body index, Han nationality, Countryside, Anthropometry, Principal component analysis, Male