Abstract: The secular change of somatotype of children in Nanjing city during a half century was reported. The weight, height, sitting height of children aged 7-17 had significant increase, respectively. Six indices comprising ratio of sitting height to height, Quetelet index, Kaup index, Rohrer index, Livi index and Pelidisi index were applied for analysis. The result showed that the somatotype in weight-height relationship tended to be slender and the adult ratio of sitting height to height emerged nonsignificant variation during this 49-year period.

Key words: Children; Somatotype; Secular change