Body anthropometric measurements of Singaporean adult and elderly population

Abstract

The aims of this study were 1) to investigate the gender differences in Singaporean adult and elderly people; 2) to compare the anthropometric dimensions between adults and older people. Two hundred subjects (100 adults and 100 older people; each group consisted of 50 male and 50 female subjects) were recruited in this study. A collection of the 36 body dimensions selected from ISO 7250 was conducted. Subjects aged from 18 to 64 years old were recruited as the adult group. Subjects aged 65 or over were defined as elderly. All body dimensions were measured manually using digital calipers and measuring tapes. The t-test results showed that gender differences were found in both the adult and elderly subjects. Males have greater measurements than females in the majority of the 36 body dimensions, in both the adult or elderly groups. There were significant differences in anthropometric data between Singaporean adults and elderly people. The results indicated that adult subjects had larger body dimensions than elderly subjects in most of the measurements in both genders. Additionally, anthropometric measurement comparisons between Singaporean and populations from other countries are also discussed in this study under the adult and elderly groups. The findings and the anthropometric data from this study can be used for relevant consideration in the development of ergonomic products, equipment, and workstation design.