Comparisons of body size and form among ethnic groups of United States college men.

Original data were collected during 1979-1982 on 199 American Black and 99 American White college men attending the University of South Carolina. Statistics from these data are presented for 11 measures of body size, 6 measures of body form, and 5 measures of skinfold thickness and body composition. Each variable is described for a) the total samples of South Carolina Black and White college men, and b) three more homogeneous subgroups of college men designated Afro-Black, Afro-Black/Amerind, and Northwest European White. University of South Carolina male students are compared with other groups of United States college men and Selective Service registrants studied during the 1940's and 1950's. It is found: means for standing height of men having Afro-Black and Northwest European White ancestries exceeded the mean for standing height of peers with mixed Afro-Black/Amerind ancestry, lower limb height in percentage of sitting height, on average, was greater for Black college men than for White peers and means for body weight and standing height were higher on South Carolina Black and White college men measured during 1979-1982 than on college men measured in Kansas during the 1940's, and United States Selective Service registrants measured during the 1950's.