title: Changes of somatotype in high school students, V region, Chile: 1985-2010.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the trend of high school students from Valparaíso Chile by means of an anthropometrical somatotype.
  
  
  METHODS
  two samples of students during the years 1984-1985 (86 men and 71 women) and 2009-2010 (77 men and 86 women) between 15 and 18 years of age have been studied. Somatotype was estimated by the Heath-Carter anthropometric method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  significant differences were found in all the variables of the somatotype during the periods studied (p < 0.01), except for height (p = 0.176) and humeral breadth in women (p = 0.067). Important distinctions were also found in the endomorphic, mesomorphic and ectomorphic components (p < 0.01). Men measurements registered remarkable differences in all the variables (p < 0.01), with the exception of weight (p = 0.156), calf breadth (p = 0.906) and arm breadth in contraction (p = 0.284). Measurement results of endomorphic (p < 0.01), ectomorphic (p < 0.01) and mesomorfic components (p < 0.05) revealed considerable differences. During the period 1984-1985, men classified as balanced mesomorph 2.7-4.8-3.1 which switched to mesomorph-endomorph 3.8-4.3-2.5 in the period 2009-2010. And the population of women in the 1984-1985 period is classified as mesomorph-endomorph 4.2-4.7-2.1 and changes to a mesomorphic-endomorph biotype 6.6-4.1-1.3 in the 2009-2010.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  the somatotype of the adolescent population, especially women in Valparaiso, Chile has changed to a predominant endomorphic biotype, and its mesomorphic component has decreased. A high relative adiposity contributes to increase the probability for these people to suffer non-transmissible chronic diseases and cardiovascular issues.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Antropología Física y Anatomía Humana, Laboratorio de Técnicas Anatómicas, Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile. pablo.lizana@ucv.cl
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lizana Arce
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Almagiâ Flores
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Simpson Lelievre
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ivanovic Marincovic
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Binvignat Gutiérrez
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Berral de la Rosa
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity / Q000502:physiology; D000293:Adolescent; D000886:Anthropometry; D001132:Arm / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008297:Male; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012885:Skinfold Thickness; D013008:Somatotypes / Q000502:physiology*; D013334:Students