title: Complex statistical characterization of women's body measurements.
abstract: 670 young Estonian female students of the Tartu University (aged 18-22 years) were examined anthropometrically (37 body measurements and 10 skinfolds). By means of multidimensional statistical analysis we found that the woman's body as a whole is a linearly well-correlated system. The leading measurements are height and weight, which account for 50% of the variability of all the other measurements, while individual variability makes up 50%. There are no other body measurements besides weight and height that can give a reliable description of the general build of a woman's body. Variations in body height-weight sizes lead to systematic changes in the length, breadth and depth measurements, circumferences and body proportions. Comparative changes of body proportions in the general contingent and in the groups of purely pyknic and leptosomic women are based on the corresponding values of their body height and weight. These findings lead to the conclusion that the anthropological whole body primary model may be a classification of women's body height and weight.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods*; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004957:Estonia; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D012016:Reference Values; D012885:Skinfold Thickness