Comparison of Body Size and Form among Ethnic Groups of Active Duty United States Army Men and Women Referred to a Weight Control Program

Document Type

Article

Authors

Molly S. Maguire, University of Connecticut
Howard V. Meredith
John H. Spurgeon, University of South Carolina

Abstract

The subjects were 1632 United States Army white, black, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander males and 359 white and black females referred to the Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, Weight Control Clinic between June 1983 and June 1984. For each subject somatic data were collected for standing height, body weight, six measures of skinfold thickness and body composition. On each ethnic group measures of body size and body composition were analyzed for central tendency and variability. White and black males were similar in standing height and body weight and taller and heavier than Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander males by near 5 cm and not less than 2 kg. Means for 183 United States white females were higher than means for more than 1100 white females measured during 1971-1974 in an American survey, by .5 cm in standing height and 7.2 kg in body weight. United States Army black males and black females have less body fat than their ethnic peers.

Recommended Citation

Maguire, Molly S.; Meredith, Howard V.; and Spurgeon, John H. (1988) "Comparison of Body Size and Form among Ethnic Groups of Active Duty United States Army Men and Women Referred to a Weight Control Program," Human Biology: Vol. 60: Iss. 4, Article 7.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/humbiol/vol60/iss4/7