Studies on the body surface area of Japanese.

Surface area of 201 Japanese (both sexes) from infancy to old age selected statistically by sex, age and body shape were measured and the regional rates calculated and discussed. The results are as follows. 1. There was no difference between either side of the body for age or sex. 2. The rate of head, face and neck decreased while that of the lower extremities increased with aging. 3. After adolescence regional rates could be differenciated between the sexes. The rates of the thigh of the female were considerably higher than that of the male. 4. As for body shape, rate of the head, face and neck tended to lower toward obesity and rose toward slenderness. The rates of the trunk, upper and lower extremities revealed the opposite tendency to the former. 5. These results vary little as compared to other studies done on Japanese. However, compared to a German or an American revealed a higher rate for limbs. The rate was definetely lower for the Westerner. INTRODUCTION For heat radiation, scientific studies on clothing and for human engineering, it is very important to divide the body surface area into various regions and observe them separately. TAKAHIRA, NIIYA, KOBAYASHI and KOIKE in Japan as well as MEEH in Germany, DUBOIS in USA classified and examined comparatively the regional rates of body surface area by race, sex and age. In their works, however, the number of the subjects were as less as between 1 and 10 in sex and age. Moreover, the statistic reasons and formalities enough to represent the parent population of the selected subjects were not clear. In this study, 201 Japanese of both sexes from neonatal to old age were chosen as the subjects, who had Japanese standard physique by sex and age, and such as of obesity and slenderness after adolescence. Then the surface area of them was measured actually and seperately according to regions, and discussed by body shape, sex and age. *ƒ † " ¡ –{OEO Šì • E " n • Ó • @ –Ð METHOD The subjects were 201 Japanese of both sexes from neonatal to 76 years of old as shown in the upper part of Table 1. As shown in the series of this study, they were consisted of such people as follows, and were classified by sex and age. They were of Japanese standard physique and body shape chosen from a …