Abstract :
Physical growth level attained in adulthood is an important stress indicator in that it embodies current and past life standards. This study seeks to investigate the impacts of different socio-economic standards on body structures of young males. The group of low socio-economic class consisted of 240 consists of final year students from three high schools in Sentepe and Karşıyaka, a slum district of Ankara (mean age=18.15±0.58). The group that represents high socio-economic class consisted of 220 male students of 3 college in Çankaya, Ankara (mean age=18.16±0.55). Data of weight and height of individuals were measured and body mass index (BMI) values were calculated.Body composition was measured by Tanita TBF 305 bioelectric impedance analyser. In terms of height and BMI, the group belonging to low socio-economic class exhibits a statistically significant lower growth level than the high socio-economic group and CDC 2000 values of the USA. Moreover, the body component parameters, except for the non-fat mass index, are significantly low in the low socio-economic group. These data might suggest that there is a significant difference in physical growth and body composition parameters between the low and the high socio-economic groups in Ankara, where the conditions of urban poverty is severe.
NaturalLanguageKeyword :
Physical development , anthropometry , body composition , urban poverty
