Somatotype Characteristics of Sunni Muslim Population: A Cross-sectional Study

The aim of this study was to understand the distribution of various somatotype components and determine the age- and sex-related variations of the somatotype among Sunni Muslim population of Uttar Pradesh, India. The study population consisted of 214 individuals (100 males and 114 females), belonging to the age group of 18–73 years. All somatometric measurements were taken according to the protocol of the International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK). Anthropometric somatotyping was done using Heath and Carter method. Somatotype dispersion distances (SDD), mean somatotype dispersion (SDM), and standard deviation of somatotype dispersion distance (DSD) were calculated. Somatochart was also plotted for the body physique of the studied population. The results showed that mean somatotype of males is balanced endomorph (4.2–3.2–3.1), while that of females is mesomorphic endomorph (6.6–3.7–1.2). Endomorphy and mesomorphy increased with age up to 55 years and then decreased thereafter; however, ectomorphy showed the opposite trend in both the sexes. The findings of the study indicate that males and females of Sunni Muslim population are predominantly endomorphic.