Anthropometric study of school children in three districts of Sri Lanka
Balasuriya, S.; Fernando, M.A.
Ceylon Medical Journal 31(1): 21-33
1986
ISSN/ISBN: 0009-0875 PMID: 3802305 Document Number: 281165
Anthropometric measurements taken in 1975 of 10,857 Sinhalese and Tamil school children from Nuwara Eliya, Jaffna and Kandy districts were analysed to identify possible ethnic and geographical differences. The means observed are below the 2.5th percentile of the American Standards. The Nuwara Eliya children were consistently smaller than those in the other two districts. However, the differences between Jaffna Tamils and Kandyan Sinhalese are minimal. It is concluded that the differences are caused by environmental rather than genetic factors.