Abstract
A statistical analysis on the ratio of weight-for-height in insurance medicine was carried out in a total of 12,690 insured persons who were medically examined at the Honam medical department, Dong Bang life insurance company, ltd. from June, 1979 to February, 1984. The results were as follows: 1. The mean value of the ratio of weight-for-height(W/H ratio) was $102.3{\pm}11.3%$ in all males, and $105.2{\pm}103.6%$ in all females. The difference of the values between males and females showed statistical significance(P<0.001). The mean value of W/H ratio in all the insureds was $103.8{\pm}12.9%$. In each age group, the mean value of female was higher than that of male without exception(P<0.001). The mean value of both sexes in each age group showed gradual increase with age except for the age group over 50(P<0.001). 2. The incidences of the average weighted, overweighted and underweighted lives were respectively 91.6% in all males, 84.2% in all females(P<0.001); 7.9% in all males, 15.4% in all females(P<0.001); 0.5% in all males, 0.4% in all females(P>0.05). The incidences of average weighted, overweighted and underweighted lives in all the insureds were respectively 87.6%, 12.0% and 0.5%. The incidence of the average weighted lives in male in each age group was always higher than that in female with the exception of the age group below 19(P<0.001), whereas the incidence of the overweighted lives in male in each age group was always lower than that in female(P<0.05 in the age group below 19, P<0.001 in the other age groups). The incidence of average weighted lives of both sexes in each age group showed gradual decrease with age from the second to fifth decade(P<0.001), whereas the incidence of the overweighted lives of both sexes in each age group showed gradual increase with age from the second to fifth decade(P<0.001). 3. The relative frequency distribution polygons of W/H ratio of both sexes drawn in a pair on one coordinate plane revealed lying in juxtaposition each other horizontally and showed the shifting of female's polygon to male's one toward the direction of greater value of W/H ratio at a short distance which increased gradually with age. 4. Correlations between both sexes and among age groups relating to W/H ratios of the insureds seem to be a physiological phenomenon of body build and should be considered on the rating of the build. Author prepared a rating table of build based on the correlations above menthioned. Some gradients by sex and age in the rating table of build are organized; in female group, the ratings of 0, 30-50, 50-100 and 100-D are to calculate by the build with W/H ratio of 80-125%, $126{\sim}145%,\;146{\sim}165%$ and over 166% respectively in the age group of 29 or under, by the build with W/H ratio of $80{\sim}130%,\;131{\sim}150%,\;151{\sim}170%$ and over 171% respectively in the age group of $30{\sim}59$, and by the build with W/H ratio of $80{\sim}135%,\;136{\sim}155%,\;156{\sim}175%$ and over 176% respectively in the age group of 60 or over. In male group, the ratings of 0, $30{\sim}50$, 50-100, and 100-D are to calculate by the build with W/H ratio of $80{\sim}120%,\;121{\sim}140%,\;141{\sim}160%$ and over 161% respectively in all ages. Of under weighted lives, in both sexes, the ratings of 30-50 and 50-D are to calculate by the build with W/H ratio of $76{\sim}79%$ and under 75% respectively. The results of the ratings according to a rating table by author were as follows: The incidence of the ratings of 0, 30-50, 50-100 and 100-D showed no difference between male and female. The incidence of the ratings of 0(indicating the average weighted lives) showed gradual decrease with age and the incidence of the ratings of 30-50 and 50-100(indicating the overweighted lives) showed gradual increase with age. These results are thought to be considerably reasonable because the incidence of the builds in each age group is supposed to have no difference by sex and the incidence of the overweighted lives would increase with age.