The effect of physical and physiological stress on body proportions in different socio-economic groups

Socio-economic conditions in the early stages of life shape body size and proportions. Studies have shown that individuals in advantaged groups are always larger, while those in disadvantaged groups are smaller. However, it is not known exactly how body proportions, limbs, and subdivisions of limbs differ under different stresses and how this is reflected in the final dimensions. At the same time, how these stresses affect the symmetry of the body has not been adequately discussed.The aim of this study was to determine how the body size, proportion and symmetrical structure of individuals who grow up under different physiological and physical pressures in childhood differ. For this purpose, an anthropometric study was conducted on 623 males and females living in Samsun who were between the ages of 20 and 45. The study sample was divided into two main groups of high and low socio-economic levels, and the low socioeconomic group was divided into two subgroups of heavy-workers and nonheavy-workers. The results showed that the effects of socio-economic factors on the human body were statistically significant (p<0.05). The upper socio-economic group was significantly different from both lower socio-economic groups in terms of body size, proportion, and asymmetry findings. The lower limbs were more affected by external factors than the upper limbs. The upper socio-economic group had longer legs, while the lower socio-economic group had longer arms, and the arms of the lower socio-economic heavy working group were proportionally longer. The relative differences observed can be said to derive from the distal limbs. Contrary to the length measurements, width measurement values were higher in the lower socio-economic group. The shoulder width was proportionally wider in the heavy-worker group. While the structure of the body was consistently symmetrical in the upper socio-economic group, the level of asymmetric deviation in the lengths and widths of the upper limbs was high in the lower socio-economic group.These findings also varied between the sexes, and it was seen that males were more affected by external factors. As a result, it was concluded that physical pressures also significantly affect human growth patterns, in addition to physiological stresses such as nutrition, health, and disease during growth. Thus, it was determined that physical pressures hinder growth, the results of which are also significantly observed in adulthood.