Anthropometric and physiological traits: age changes among the Oraon agricultural labourers of the Jalpaiguri District, northern West Bengal, India.

Data on anthropometric and physiological parameters were collected as a part of an ongoing biomedical research project on 197 adult Oraon agricultural labourers of the Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India. The analysis of the present data focuses attention towards the nature and extent of changes in adulthood in respect of anthropometric and physiological traits. The results reveal that the height increases up to 35 years of age, then declines, weight decreases after 40 years of age, although males and females do not show similar results. Physiological parameters on the other hand reveal that the blood pressure increases with age and strength parameters i.e. grip strength and back strength declines after the age of 25 years or so. However, no generalization can be made out of this, because of the cross-sectional nature of the present study.