Selected Body Measurements of Women Aged Sixty-five and Older

Abstract

One-hundred fourteen white and 91 black women volunteers from Tallahassee, Florida, senior citizen's activity centers were studied to determine if elderly ambulatory women are adequately represented in the garment-sizing system. Thirty-three body measurements were taken on each subject, whose ages ranged from 65 to 96, with a mean of 73.912. Statistical analyses of these 33 measurements used descriptive statistics, t-tests, Pearson Product Moment Correlations (r), factor analysis, partial correlations, and multiple regressions. Of the 33 measurements, 25 were significantly different from body measurements in the O'Brien and Shelton 1941 study on which the present system of sizing standards is based. Among those found to be dissimilar were bust, waist, abdominal extension, and hip girth measurements. Statistical analysis yielded body measurements that could be used as key indices for reliably predicting other body measurements. From these indices, five alternative sizing systems were developed: heightlweight, heightlbust, weight/waist height, bust/waist height, and abdominal extension/waist height. One horizontal and one vertical measurement were selected for each sizing system.