Anthropometric comparison between high- and low-altitude Saudi Arabians

Abstract

Measurements of weight, height, mid-upper arm circumference, mid-upper arm muscle circumference and skinfold thickness over the triceps region were made in 437 high-altitude residents (3150m above sea level) aged 16-60 years and 468 low-altitude residents (500 m above sea level) aged 16-60 years in southern Saudi Arabia. Compared with low-altitude residents, high-altitude residents were found to be significantly heavier and taller, but to have nearly similar mid-upper arm circumference, mid-upper arm muscle circumference and triceps skinfold thickness. Estimates of body fat have been made from the triceps skinfold measurements. No significant difference in the percentage of fat was detected between high- and low-altitude residents. When fat mass (kg) and fat mass index (fat mass (kg)/height in m2) were considered, similar trends were found between highland and lowland men only. Highland women showed significantly higher fat mass and fat mass index when compared with lowland women. These differences in physique between highland and lowland residents of southern Saudi Arabia may be attributed to the effect of environmental factors, possibly the hot climate and parasitic infections prevalent in lowland areas, in addition to the higher physical activity observed in lowland women.

Body composition in Central Asia populations: Fat patterning variation in the Kazakhs of the Tien Shan mountains and the Uighurs of Semericia

“…Several studies have investigated fat patterning variation in Asian herders (Beall and Goldstein, 1992;Leonard et al, 1996) or in mountain populations (Hannon et al, 1969;Frisancho and Baker, 1970;Bharadway, 1972;Bhardway et al, 1973Bhardway et al, , 1984Beall et al, 1977;Miklashevskaya et al, 1977Miklashevskaya et al, , 1979Khalid, 1995;Obert et al, 1994). The results are not fully comparable with the present data, because of the higher altitude of the populations examined and a lack of a detailed analysis of adiposity.…”

Body composition in Central Asia populations: Fat patterning variation in the Kazakhs of the Tien Shan mountains and the Uighurs of Semericia

“…Several studies have investigated fat patterning variation in Asian herders (Beall and Goldstein, 1992;Leonard et al, 1996) or in mountain populations (Hannon et al, 1969;Frisancho and Baker, 1970;Bharadway, 1972;Bhardway et al, 1973Bhardway et al, , 1984Beall et al, 1977;Miklashevskaya et al, 1977Miklashevskaya et al, , 1979Khalid, 1995;Obert et al, 1994). The results are not fully comparable with the present data, because of the higher altitude of the populations examined and a lack of a detailed analysis of adiposity.…”

Nutritional status and cardio-respiratory functions among adult Raji males, a hunter and gatherer tribe of the Indian Himalayas

“…A large number of studies have been conducted on various aspects of 'man versus altitude' (Khalid, 1995;Beall et al, 1997;Weitz et al, 2004;Kapoor and Kapoor, 2005); however, only a few studies have focused on the effects of both altitude and ageing on human morphology, physiology, and nutritional status (Tyagi and Kapoor, 1999;Kaur and Kapoor, 2003) and none of these studied primitive tribal populations. Kapoor and Kapoor (1987) found that hematological traits, including hemoglobin level, red blood cell count, white blood cell count, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin, increased with an increase in altitude.…”