Analyzing the shape of the upper part on the middle-Aged male body in Ho Chi Minh city – Viet Nam

Journal of Science & Technology 143 (2020) 068-072 
68 
Analyzing the Shape of the Upper Part on the Middle-Aged Male Body in 
Ho Chi Minh City – Vietnam 
Nguyen Mau Tung 1,2, Tran Thi Minh Kieu1*, Pham Thi Thao2, Pham The Bao3 
1Hanoi University of Science and Technology – No. 1, Dai Co Viet Str., Hai Ba Trung, Ha Noi, Viet Nam 
2Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City - No. 12 Nguyen Van Bao, Ward 4, Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh 
3Sai Gon University - 273 An Duong Vuong, Ward 3, 5 District, Ho Chi Minh City 
Received: August 10, 2018; Accepted: June 22, 2020 
Abstract 
The cross-sectional research method was used to analyze the shape of the upper body of middle-aged men. 
The 3D anthropometric measurements data was collected from 378 different men aged 30-60 in HCMC by 
using the 3D Size Stream Body Scanner. Later the data was processed by statistical probability math and 
SPSS 25 software. The statistics indicate that most of the surveyed people have higher left shoulder height 
than their right shoulder height. The increase in circumference indexes leads to the wide index of the 
circumference increase. As people get older, their body height tends to decrease. The older people get, the 
bigger their chest size and waist size circumference indexes become with the front part increases more than 
the back part. 
Keywords: The top of body, middle-aged male, analysis the shape of body, Ho Chi Minh City. 
1. Introduction 
Vietnam's textile and garment industry has been 
developing strongly and plays an increasingly 
important role in economic growth of the country. 
Nowadays, in* Vietnam the garment market is 
developing very strongly, serving local consumer 
demands. Characteristics of human body plays an 
important role in designing costume styles. The 
changes in living conditions makes the body shape 
change. The Atlat Anthropology of Vietnamese 
people in working age since 1986 [1] was no longer 
fit with the human body shape these days, therefore, 
studying the shape of middle-aged male body aged 
30-60 in Ho Chi Minh City has an vital meaning for 
the fashion industry to be able to come up with timely 
design solutions to meet the demand of beautiful 
wear, fit comfortably by consumers. 
2. Subjects and research methods 
2.1. Subjects of research 
Vietnamese male, Kinh majority, living and 
working in Ho Chi Minh City, aged from 30 to 60 
years old, voluntarily participated in the survey 
randomly. The sample size of the research was 
determined according to the formula: 
2 2 2 2
2 2
1.96 4.96
378.038
0,5
t SD
n
m
* Corresponding author: Tel.: (+84) 988.709.885 
Email: kieu.tranthiminh@hust.edu.vn 
Where: n is the sample number; probability or desired 
confidence level (p = 0.95); t is the margin of error or 
z-score (t = 1.96), m is the allowed measure error (m 
= 0.5), SD standard deviation (SD = 4.96 cm, is the 
head height standard deviation of preliminarily 
measuring of 150 samples randomly). The research 
surveyed 378 males randomly. 
2.2. Object and scope of the research 
Measuring subjects are randomly selected 378 
middle-aged men aged 30-60, living in Ho Chi Minh 
City working in office and teacher environments. 
Study subjects were divided into 3 groups [1]: Group 
1: 30-40 years, Group 2: 41-50 years, Group 3: 51-60 
years old. 
Analyzing the shape of the upper middle-aged 
body. 
2.3. Research Methods 
Cross-sectional research method. Using the US 
3D Size Stream Body Scanner, measuring the 
monitoring of anthropometric measurements. 
Data processing method: statistical probability 
math and using SPSS 25 to determine statistical 
characteristics: average value (M), standard deviation 
(SD), coefficient of variation (CV). 
3. Research results and discussion 
The characteristics of statistics of male body 
size from 30 to 60 years (with 3 age groups: group 1 
from 30-40 years old, group 2 from 41-50 years old, 
group 3 from 51-60 years old) after data processing 
by SPSS25 are shown in Table 1. 
Journal of Science & Technology 143 (2020) 068-072 
69 
 Table 1. The value of HCMC middle-aged male body measurements from 30 to 60 years old 
 Measurement Symbol M Min Max SD Me Mo CV% 
T
h
e 
n
ec
k
 p
ar
t 
1 Head_height (cm) Hh 23.61 19.55 27.72 1.56 23.56 23.62 6.62 
2 Neck height (cm) Nh 7.88 4.25 11.77 1.47 7.86 7.76 18.66 
3 
Neck Circumference 
(cm) 
Nc 41.43 37.21 48.86 1.93 41.13 41.48 4.65 
4 Neck Width (cm) Nw 13.39 11.86 15.96 0.84 13.32 13.43 6.25 
5 Neck Thickness (cm) Nt 12.98 11.43 15.57 0.75 12.95 12.85 5.75 
6 Shoulder Height (cm) Sh 136.91 125.65 149.61 4.73 136.44 136.46 3.45 
7 Shoulder Slope (cm) Ss 4.82 3.13 6.84 0.82 4.84 4.84 16.94 
8 
Back Shoulder Width 
Horizontal (cm) 
Bsw 43.73 38.46 49.20 2.24 43.33 43.64 5.12 
9 Shoulder Length (cm) Sl 14.14 10.53 18.09 1.29 14.13 14.08 9.11 
 10 Shoulder Angle (°) Sa 19.96 13.05 27.47 3.17 19.71 19.77 15.88 
T
h
e 
a
rm
 p
a
rt
11 Arm Length (cm) Al 56.78 50.56 63.88 2.62 56.75 56.75 4.62 
12 Elbow Length (cm) El 32.56 28.15 37.68 1.96 32.51 32.54 6.01 
13 
Arm Hole 
Circumference (cm) 
Ahc 45.33 37.49 53.90 3.06 45.51 45.55 6.74 
14 
Bicep Circumference 
(cm) 
Bc 29.65 24.50 35.63 2.16 29.76 29.91 7.30 
15 
Elbow Circumference 
(cm) 
Ec 26.96 22.65 31.74 1.53 26.94 26.94 5.69 
16 
Forearm 
Circumference (cm) 
Fc 26.71 22.64 30.99 1.42 26.56 26.79 5.32 
17 
Wrist Circumference 
(cm) 
Wc 17.00 14.21 20.99 1.03 16.94 16.78 6.08 
T
h
e 
ch
es
t 
a
n
d
 b
ac
k
 p
ar
t 
18 Chest Height (cm) Ch 121.64 111.24 133.58 4.39 121.11 121.43 3.61 
19 Upper Bust Girth (cm) Ub 99.42 85.62 114.01 4.81 98.94 99.75 4.84 
20 
Chest / Bust 
Circumference (cm) 
Cc 96.12 83.48 109.74 5.03 95.86 96.13 5.23 
21 
Across Chest Arm to 
Arm (cm) 
Aca 36.35 32.52 40.21 1.52 36.24 36.33 4.19 
22 
Across Back Arm to 
Arm (cm) 
Aba 38.73 34.74 43.23 1.66 38.65 38.87 4.28 
23 
Bust to Bust Length 
(cm) 
Btb 19.96 16.82 23.98 1.24 19.89 19.46 6.24 
24 Chest Width (cm) Cw 34.30 29.45 39.23 1.68 34.15 34.63 4.89 
25 Chest Thickness (cm) Ct 23.81 19.68 28.19 1.64 23.76 24.09 6.88 
T
h
e 
st
o
m
ac
h
26 
Abdomen 
Circumference (cm) 
Ac 88.08 73.65 103.77 6.09 88.02 88.06 6.92 
27 
Neck to Back Waist 
(cm) 
Nbw 49.04 41.76 56.93 2.60 49.04 49.02 5.31 
28 
Neck to Front Waist 
(cm) 
Nfw 47.47 40.03 55.29 2.76 47.51 47.48 5.81 
29 
Front Abdomen 
Circum ference (cm) 
Fac 45.40 35.08 57.93 3.58 45.05 45.04 7.89 
30 
Back Abdomen 
Circum ference (cm) 
Bac 
42.68 34.12 51.27 2.95 42.38 42.85 6.91 
Journal of Science & Technology 143 (2020) 068-072 
70 
3.1. Characteristics of the neck 
The shape of neck is evaluated based on the 
ratio of neck width (Wn) to the neck thickness (Nt) 
[3]. Previous research [3] showed the ratio to classify 
male neck into 3 groups of neck types as follow: (1) 
the wide neck with ratio is 1 ± 0.05; (2) the average 
neck with ratio is 0.9 ± 0.05; (3) the slender neck with 
ratio is 0.8 ± 0.05. 
Table 2. The average value of neck measurements 
Measure 
-ment 
(cm) 
The 
age 
group 
Nh 
Nw 
Nt 
Nc 
(Nw/
Nt) 
Group 1 8.38 13.20 12.86 41.02 1.03 
Group 2 7.81 13.49 12.94 41.53 1.04 
Group 3 7.33 13.52 13.16 41.82 1.03 
M 7.88 13.39 12.98 41.43 1.03 
Summarizing the value of the size and the 
proportion of the neck of the three age groups of 
HCMC middle age men, is shown in Table 2. The 
result showed that: 
- The higher the age, the shorter the height of the 
neck (Nh) 
- Neck circumference (Nc), neck width (Nw), 
neck thickness (Nt) are increasing with age gradually. 
- Classification of neck shape: The ratio between 
the neck width and the neck thickness of HCMC 
middle-aged ranges from 1.03 -1.04, inferring the 
cross-sectional area of the circle type as in Figure.1a. 
That means their neck shape is a kind of wide. 
Fig. 1. Cross section of the neck 
- According to the authors of research “Perception 
of body appearance and its relation to clothing” [2], 
the neck height is about 1/3 higher than the head 
height. Also, according to Table 1, the average value 
of middle-aged neck height (Nh) in Ho Chi Minh 
City is 7.88 cm, head height (Hh) is 23.61cm, thus the 
neck is in the form of average high neck. 
3.2. Shoulder part characteristics 
Characteristics of shoulder measurements for 
three age groups are summarized in Table 3 and 
Table 4. 
Table 3. The average value of the shoulder part 
measurements 
Size symbols Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 M 
Bsw(cm) 43.83 43.71 43.63 43.73 
Sl (cm) 14.40 14.03 13.94 14.14 
Sa (°) 19.00 20.32 20.78 19.96 
Ss (cm) 4.68 4.87 4.95 4.82 
Evaluating the balance between right and left 
shoulders for the three age groups is shown by the 
dimensions in Table 4. 
Table 4. The average value of right and left shoulder 
height, shoulder slope. 
Age 
group 
Size 
symbols 
Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 
Left 
should-
er 
Right 
should-
er 
Left 
should-
er 
Right 
should-
er 
Left 
should-
er 
Right 
should-
er 
Sh (cm) 138.32 137.66 137.17 136.29 136.12 135.36 
Sa (°) 18.52 19.48 19.78 20.86 20.13 21.42 
The results from Table 3 and Table 4 affirm 
some facts are: 
- The shoulder width (Bsw) and the shoulder 
length (Sl) are shorter when older. 
- The shoulder width (Bsw) or shoulder angle (Sa) 
gradually increases with age, but this increasing 
number is not large, only from 4.68 cm to 4.95cm. 
The shoulder angle (Sa) from 19.0(°) to 20.78(°) 
increases by nearly 2(°), because of the older, the 
shoulder and the shoulder heigth are sluggish but not 
significant. 
- The shoulders shape of HCMC middle-aged 
male can be classified as the average shoulder. Their 
shoulder shape could be described: there is a large 
slope from the shoulder intersecting neck point to the 
shoulder point, and from the shoulder point to the 
point of the shoulder outer edge is almost horizontal. 
- The right shoulder height (Sh) is lower than the 
left; The right shoulder has a shoulder angle (Sa) 
higher than the left. Therefore, it could be summed up 
with a a result that the right shoulder is saggier than 
the left shoulder. 
Journal of Science & Technology 143 (2020) 068-072 
71 
3.3. Arm part characteristics 
The average values of the arm measurements of 
HCMC middle-aged male are presented in Table 5. 
Table 5. The average values of arm measurements 
Measurement 
symbols (cm) 
Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 M 
Al 57.02 56.96 56.28 56.78 
El 32.81 32.75 32.06 32.56 
Ahc 44.90 45.34 45.86 45.33 
Bc 29.40 29.72 29.91 29.65 
Ec 26.57 26.69 26.89 26.71 
Fc 26.79 26.90 27.24 26.96 
Wc 16.82 16.97 17.23 17.00 
The characteristics of arm measurements for 
three age groups are summarized as follow: 
- Length of the arm: The older the length of the 
arm (Al), the shorter the arm is. 
- Armhole circumference (Ahc), biceps 
circumference (Bc), elbows circumference (Ec), 
forearm circumference (Fc) and wrist circumference 
(Wc): all measurements are increasing with age. It is 
because the older people get the more fat accumulate. 
- Classification by arm length: Through table 5, 
we can see that the Arm length of middle-aged male 
in Ho Chi Minh City is in the range of 56,28 cm - 
57,02 cm and is classified as medium arm length. 
3.4. Characteristics of chest and back 
Table 6 presents the average value of the 
measurements for the chest part of HCMC middle-
aged male. The values showed that: 
- The chest height (Ch) is getting lower when 
person is getting older, because the intervertebral disc 
between the vertebrae gradually collapses over time. 
- The chest circumference (Cc) gradually 
increases with age, because the older the age of 50-60 
years of excess fat accumulates more. 
- Bust to bust (Btb) gradually increases with age, 
because of the fat 
- Body form for male are evaluated based on the 
Lorent Index [3]. Reference shows that: Lorent index 
= Chest circumference at armpit level (Cc) – Waist 
circumference (Wc). The characteristic of male body 
form is classified according to Lorent Index: when 
Lorent index > 14 is a thin person; Lorent Index = 14 
is the average person; Lorent Index <14 is fat person. 
When evaluate the body form by Lorent Index, the 
results of HCMC in three age groups are 13.28, 11.5, 
8.75 in relation to group 1, grops 2, group 3, as 
showed in Figure 2. All are lower than 14 and this is 
meant that HCMC middle-age male have the fat body 
form when evaluate the body form by Lorent Index. 
- Chest circumference (Cc), chest thickness (Ct), 
chest width (Cw) have important implications for the 
shape of the chest. Through Table 6 and Figure 3, it is 
realized ratio Aba/Aca is 1.06 and 1.07, which 
belongs to the average chest type. 
- The classification of middle-aged chest shape: 
Group 1 has more back muscles than the following 
two groups, because the Aba/Aca ratio is the lowest. 
Fig. 2. Lorent index of HCMC middle-age male 
Fig. 3. Aba/Aca ratio of three age groups of HCMC 
middle-aged male 
Table 6. The average value of chest measurements 
Measurement 
symbols 
(cm) 
The 
age group 
Ch Ubg Btb Cc Aba Aca 
Ac 
Cw Ct 
Group 1 122.82 99.16 19.59 95.12 38.43 36.28 85.88 34.19 23.54 
Group 2 121.51 99.43 19.99 95.87 38.86 36.34 87.93 34.23 23.71 
Group 3 120.30 99.72 20.38 97.62 38.99 36.45 90.98 34.51 24.24 
M 121.64 99.42 19.96 96.12 38.73 36.35 88.08 34.30 23.81 
Journal of Science & Technology 143 (2020) 068-072 
72 
- The characteristics of the back can be seen 
through measurements depth waist length and the 
difference (Nbw) – (Nfw). 
- Depth waist length: value front waist length 
(Nfw) and the back-waist length (Nbw) of group 3 for 
this measurement is lower than other groups, thus 
proving that the older person get, the back length is 
reduced, because the disc between the vertebrae is 
collapsed. 
- The difference between the back waist length 
(Nbw) and front waist length (Nfw) and the gradually 
increases with age as showed in Table 7, thus proving 
that the older person is getting, the back is getting 
more curved. 
Table 7. Difference between the back waist length 
and the front waist length 
Measurement 
Symbols 
(cm) 
The age group 
Nbw 
Nfw (Nbf - Nfw) 
Group 1 49.68 48.25 1.43 
Group 2 48.89 47.30 1.59 
Group 3 48.40 46.67 1.73 
M 49.04 47.47 1.57 
Table 8. Summarize the average value of abdominal 
sections 
Measure 
-ment 
(cm) 
The 
age 
group 
Fac Bac 
Ac Cc (Cc– 
Ac) 
Group 1 44.01 41.87 85.88 95.12 9.24 
Group 2 45.18 42.75 87.93 95.87 7.94 
Group 3 47.37 43.61 90.98 97.62 6.64 
M 45.40 42.68 88.08 96.12 8.04 
3.5. Abdominal characteristics 
Research results of abdominal measurements are 
shown in Table 8. Results were analysed and 
discussed as follow: 
- As the age increases, waist circumference (Ac) 
increases. HCMC male in the age of 50-60 have the 
largest waist in compared to other groups. They have 
front waist is larger than the back waist. Research 
also found that when person gets older, difference 
between the front waist and back waist is getting 
larger. 
- When person is getting older, his chest and 
abdomen become bigger, but the abdomen is 
increasing bigger than the chest. 
Thus, according to Table 8, the abdomen of 
HCM City middle-aged male is convex. 
4. Conclusion 
Researched 378 HCMC middle-aged male 
subjects according to 3 age groups. Analyzing the 
upper body shape according to 30 main 
measurements. All measurements were measured by 
Size Stream 3D scanner. 
Characteristics of the neck: the cross-sectional 
area appeared round shape, wide-neck type with an 
average high neck. 
Shoulder characteristics: The slope of shoulder 
increases when age increases. The shoulders are in 
the common shape, the right shoulder is shorter than 
the left shoulder. 
Characteristics of the chest and abdomen: The 
circumference increases when age increases, leading 
to the width also increases. The front part 
circumference increases more than the back part. 
Characteristics of the back: When person gets 
older, the back is curved more leading to the bigger 
difference between the back waist and front waist. 
Characteristics of arm: armhole, bicep 
circumference, elbow and wrist circumference are 
gradually increasing with age. The arm length is 
medium form. 
The result of this study is an important basis for 
application of suitable clothing design for Ho Chi 
Minh City middle-aged male. 
Acknowledgement 
This research is funded by the Hanoi University 
of Science and Technology (HUST) under project 
number T2018-PC-048. 
References 
[1] Atlat Anthropology of Vietnamese people in working 
age (1986) - Hanoi Science and Technology 
Publishing House. 
[2] J. Fan, W. Yu and L. Hunter (2004). Perception of 
body appearance and its relation to clothing, 
published by Woodhead Publishing Limited in 
association with The Textile Institute. 
[3] ГОСТ 17522-72 – Типовые фигуры женщин. 
Размерные признаки для проектирования одежды.