Abstract
This research was to study somatotype characteristics of elderly women and to classify them based on the results. It also analyzed the age distribution of the classified types, and the frequency among the age groups. The subjects of the study were 331 women of the age of 55 fears or older. They were measured on the performing anthropometric and photographic measurements. The samples were classified into 4 different types, and the photographic measure of each front and side view also clustered 4 different types. The results of the research are as follows : The somatotype of elderly women in Korea is most likely to be H-shaped, which shows a slight refraction when viewed from a front. When viewed from a side, an appearance off straight somatotype is common among the age of 70 or younger. However, the age of 70 or older appears to have swayback somatotype. This means that women are likely to reserve their straight body figure from their middle-age until the age of 70. The major somatotype characteristic of old age, a stooped body shape, is more frequently seen as they get older.