Anthropometric differences between rural and urban French-Canadian schoolchildren

Document Type

Article

Authors

Harold W. Thibault, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Que. Canada
Lise LaPalme, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Que. Canada
Richard Tanguay, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Que. Canada
Arto Demirjian, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Que. Canada

Abstract

This study compares a sample of rural French-Canadian schoolchildren to a sample of urban counterparts for height, biacromial width and weight. A multivariate analysis of variance revealed consistent biacromial width and irregular concomittant height and weight differences; namely, rural schoolchildren have a wider body frame than their urban peers. These results suggest that migratory patterns and endogamous practices contribute to the genetic differentiation of ethnically homo­geneous sub-populations. The more general issue of the epistemological value of results reported in sub-population studies is also examined, particularly, with respect to environmental causal inferences.

Recommended Citation

Thibault, Harold W.; LaPalme, Lise; Tanguay, Richard; and Demirjian, Arto (1985) "Anthropometric differences between rural and urban French-Canadian schoolchildren," Human Biology: Vol. 57: Iss. 1, Article 22.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/humbiol/vol57/iss1/22