Differences in Somatotype Between Boys and Girls in Arfak Subsistence Population

Elda Irma Joice Kawulur, Aksamina Yohanita and Eneng Rohmatullayaly

Background and Objective: A difference in fat, muscle and other body composition was observed in children in each population. Culture and physical environment may influence the development of body shape. The present study aimed to investigate body shape of Arfak children through somatotype assessment. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study of ten anthropometric measurements was conducted on the Arfak children consisting of 164 boys and 144 girls aged 7-19 years in Manokwari West Papua Province, Indonesia. Somatotype components were measured using the Heath-Carter method. Results: Based on age and sex, the somatotype of Arfak children showed a different trend for each component. Sexual dimorphism of somatotype appears in endomorphy (relative fatness) and mesomorphy (musculoskeletal). Arfak children show changes in the somatotype component at the onset of puberty at the age of 8-9 years for girls and 9-10 years for boys. The distribution of somatotype categories for boys was changed from endomorphic mesomorph, balanced mesomorph, ectomorphic mesomorph, to endomorphic mesomorph, while in girls these distributions were central, mesomorph-endomorph and mesomorphic endomorphic. Based on these somatotype categories for various age groups, Arfak boys showed more musculoskeletal in all age groups, while Arfak girls tend to have more fatness. Conclusion: The body shape of Arfak children in the subsistence populations differs from previous studies which showed lean body mass.

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