Effects of Hb types and G-6-PD deficiency on height, weight and skinfolds: a study on Indian population

In this paper the effect of age, Hb types and G-6-PD deficiency on height, weight and skinfold thickness among 1720 subjects belonging to Nava-Budha, Maratha and a mixed Scheduled caste of Maharashtra, India, have been examined using two models of analysis of variance. In the first model the factors used for explaining the variation are communities, age, sex, Hb types based on the total sample. In the second model another factor, G-6-PD deficiency, was introduced and only the male sample (n = 852) was considered. The age groups (assessed), sex and communities contribute highly significantly to the variation in weight. Variation in communities, age and sex is highly significant for variations in height and the three skinfold measurements. The effect of variation in Hb types is more than random for height and significant for biceps and triceps thicknesses. G-6-PD deficiency causes significant variation in height and the three skinfold measurements.