A Study on Changes to the Upper Body Shape of Elderly Japanese Women-Analysis of the Transverse Plane by Age Group-

Abstract

This study determined how the upper body shape of elderly women changes with age in order to improve the fit of clothing worn by elderly women. Thirty-nine healthy elderly Japanese women had their body measurements taken by measuring tape and a 3D body line scanner (Hamamatsu Model #C9036-02) from December 2011 to March 2012 at a university in Tokyo. It was found that the shoulder line shortens in women between the ages of 70 and 74, but that the upper arm lengthens in women between the ages of 75 and 79. It was also found that the upper part of the scapular area rolls forward in women between the ages of 70 and 74, and that the point of the back which protrudes the most–the lower scapular area–rolls forward in women between the ages of 75 and 79. The results will be helpful for designing clothes for elderly women as their body shape changes with age.