An anthropometric survey of growth and physique of the populations of Karkar Island and Lufa subdistrict, New Guinea.

Abstract

Child growth, adult physique and somatic changes in old age are compared in the two populations by means of a cross-sectional survey. The results indicate that the physique of the Lufa Highlanders has features in common with high-altitude populations. Throughout the growth period the Lufa people are heavier, more muscular and skeletally more robust than the Karkar Islanders. Maturity is reached earlier in the coastal population and the close relation between adult height, child growth rate and maturity observed in some parts of New Guinea, including Lufa, does not apply to the island community. The two populations are similar in adult height but differ significantly in body proportions and in dimensions of the head and face. Ageing proceeds rapidly after the third decade and the effects appear with greater uniformity than in Western populations. Decrease in body mass is particularly striking. Physiological and pathological ageing together with secular trends contribute to the variation in anthropometric characteristics with age, although the relative contributions of these phenomena appear to differ in the two populations.