Anthropometric data in middle-aged women. The population study of women in Göteborg 1968-1969

Body weight, body height, skinfolds, circumferences and weight indices in a population sample of 1462 women in ages between 38 and 60 years are presented. Significant age differences were noted. High correlations (r) were found between body weight and triceps and subscapular skinfolds (0.62 and 0.72 respectively) and between body weight and arm, waist and buttock circumferences (0.75-0.88). Age differences were mostly noted between 46 and 50 years of age. After that age there was a comparatively greater increase of the waist circumference than of the buttock circumference, while triceps skinfold seemed to decrease after the age of 50 indicating an altered adipose tissue distribution from the extremities to the trunk with increasing age. When taking data from a previous study of body weight in the same population of women into consideration it seems that the age differences in body weight found in cross-sectional study like the present one may to a large extent depend on differences between different cohorts studied.