Datta Banik Sudip
Department of Human Ecology, Cinvestav del IPN, Merida, Yucatan, Mexico.
J Biosoc Sci. 2022 Jan;54(1):124-134. doi: 10.1017/S0021932020000723. Epub 2020 Dec 9.
Leg length in humans is considered to be an indicator of the long-term impact of quality of childhood living conditions and nutritional status. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the magnitude of association of percentage body fat (PBF) with relative subischial leg length (RSLL), adjusting for age, sex and body mass index (BMI), among adolescents and adults in a population of poor socioeconomic background in India. Data were taken from a cross-sectional study conducted in 2010-2014 among the Limbu community of Darjeeling, West Bengal - an indigenous community with poor socioeconomic background, low literacy rate, low income and inadequate living conditions. The study villages were located in the Himalayan and sub-Himalayan regions of Darjeeling. The present study sample comprised 97 adolescents aged 16-19 years (47 boys, 50 girls) and 260 adults aged 20-39 years (135 men, 125 women). Anthropometric measurements of stature/height (cm), weight (kg), sitting height (cm) and skinfold thicknesses (biceps, triceps, subscapular, suprailiac) (mm) were recorded. Derived variables were BMI (kg/m2), subischial leg length (SLL) (cm), RSLL (%), sum of four skinfolds (mm) and PBF (%). Significant sex differences at p<0.05 were observed for all anthropometric characteristics, except for body weight among adolescents and RSLL, subscapular and sum of four skinfolds in adults. The linear regression models adjusting for age and sex showed that RSLL had a negative relationship with PBF (p<0.05) among adolescents and adults. Higher body fat, independent of BMI, was correlated with lower RSLL among both adolescents and adults from the Limbu community, indicating a possible association with poor quality living conditions in childhood. However, this may also have been due to the allometry of total body fat with body proportions - a relatively larger trunk results in more body fat.
人类的腿长被认为是儿童生活条件质量和营养状况长期影响的一个指标。本研究的主要目的是在印度社会经济背景较差的人群中的青少年和成年人中，评估体脂百分比（PBF）与相对坐骨下腿长（RSLL）之间的关联程度，并对年龄、性别和体重指数（BMI）进行校正。数据取自2010 - 2014年在西孟加拉邦大吉岭的林布社区进行的一项横断面研究，该社区是一个社会经济背景差、识字率低、收入低且生活条件不足的本土社区。研究村庄位于大吉岭的喜马拉雅和次喜马拉雅地区。本研究样本包括97名16 - 19岁的青少年（47名男孩，50名女孩）和260名20 - 39岁的成年人（135名男性，125名女性）。记录了身高（厘米）、体重（千克）、坐高（厘米）和皮褶厚度（肱二头肌、肱三头肌、肩胛下、髂上）（毫米）的人体测量数据。派生变量包括BMI（千克/平方米）、坐骨下腿长（SLL）（厘米）、RSLL（%）、四个皮褶之和（毫米）和PBF（%）。除了青少年的体重以及成年人的RSLL、肩胛下皮褶和四个皮褶之和外，所有人体测量特征在p<0.05时均观察到显著的性别差异。对年龄和性别进行校正的线性回归模型显示，青少年和成年人中RSLL与PBF呈负相关（p<0.05）。来自林布社区的青少年和成年人中，与BMI无关，较高的体脂与较低的RSLL相关，这表明可能与童年时期较差的生活条件有关。然而，这也可能是由于总体脂肪与身体比例的异速生长——相对较大的躯干会导致更多的体脂。
