Anthropometric study of the student population of a portuguese faculty

Abstract

In recent years, there has been an increasing need of knowledge or the human population's anthropometries, particularly in Portugal. Changes in the anthropometric characteristics of the Portuguese people have been reported in some studies, leading to an increasing interest on the study of the evolution of these characteristics. This study aimed to collect and analyze the anthropometric dimensions of the student population of FEUP. For that purpose, a stationary anthropometer was built and a portable anthropometer was also used. Two hundred and six students (131 males and 75 females) with ages ranging from 18 to 35 years old, were measured. A set of 14 static anthropometric measures was collected. The results show significant differences in some anthropometric dimensions, when compared with studies performed by other authors, as well as between genders for almost all anthropometric dimensions.