German

Mean statures and weights were taken from the German government MikroZensus of 2004-2005 (http://www.destatis.de/presse/deutsch/abisz/mikrozensus.htm)
These are self-reported data, but they do benefit from an enormous sample size of 830,000. For PeopleSize the data were adjusted to estimate measured data by using the Australian ratios of self-reported to measured data of 1995 (this was a thorough study of the differences between self-reported and measured data, using a large sample which was measured after self-reporting). Standard Deviations were derived using the UK Department of Health CV’s (coefficients of variation, SD/Mean). The UK dataset was used because of the reliability of the data and the similarity of weights (UK:German 18-64 averages are 69:69 kg for women and 82:84 kg for men).

In cross-checking with the 2004 DIN33402 data it was noted that SD’s in that dataset are distinctly smaller than in the UK data, with (for example) stature CV’s being only 3.6% rather than the 4% normally reported and found in all UK datasets and NHANES. Also average statures in DIN33402 are smaller than expected, at 1750 mm for men 18-65 and 1625 for women. These would make the men shorter than UK and US men (1760, 1770), and women shorter than US and on a par with UK women, while historically they have been taller. The adjusted Microzensus data show the men at 1770 and the women at 1655, so while noting this element of disparity with the DIN standard, the adjusted Microzensus data have been used. For weight DIN33402 shows the same average weight for women as the Microzensus (66kg at the 50th percentile, average 69 kg), but much smaller SD’s – a CV of only 16% for women while UK data show a CV of 22%. The Microzensus did not publish the SD’s, so with the doubt over the DIN stature SD’s the UK SD’s were used.

As in previous releases bodily proportions were taken to be the same as in UK and US populations, with fatty dimensions adjusted for weight using the same techniques.


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