Abstract

This study was conducted to find out the most suitable weight-height index out of the weight/height(p)-type indices that could be used for the evaluation of nutritional status in an epidemiological survey and for the screening of the obesity. The subjects were chosen randomly, 2,182 males and 719 females from college students and office workers in Seoul districts. The 'best' power-type weight-height index for Korean men and women of all ages from 16 to 59 was found to be weight-height(1.54) for males and weight-height(1.42) for females. Weight-height(2)(Kaup index), however, was the best suited weight-height index for each age group of both sexes except that relative weight (weight-height) was considered to be desirable to apply for males of teen-aged and of over fifties and for females of over forties of age. Normal ranges of Kaup index values for males and females of each age group were presented in tables 5 and 6. These findings suggest that Korean are generally leaner than other ethnic groups of the same sex and age.