Age changes and comparison of somatotypes during 20 to 80 years in Jat-Sikh and Bania females of Punjab (India).

The research paper deals with the age changes and comparison of somatotype components of Jat-Sikh and Bania females during 20 to 80 years. The former community is traditionally engaged in farming, while the latter is specialized in business and commerce. Anthropometric data on 502 Jat-Sikh and 510 Bania females have been collected from different villages and cities of Punjab. Each subject has been somatotyped using the Heath-Carter method (Heath & Carter, 1967). The Bania females have higher ratings of endo- and mesomorphic components than Jat-Sikh females at all ages, but the differences are significant only up to the sixties. The ectomorphic component is significantly larger in Jat-Sikh females at all ages. The different physical activity, dietary habits, and genetical factors may be responsible for a different physique of the two communities. The changes in somatotypes with age are of a minor nature. Significant differences exist in only a few groups. The endomorphic component remains dominant throughout the period of study in both the communities.