ABSTRACT
The most significant Portuguese anthropometric study consisted of a survey of anthropometric data through the use of digital photo analysis method. In the study were selected 24 static body measurements, nine related to standing posture and the rest sitting. The sample consisted of 891 individuals where 492 men and 399 women. The study aimed to test a new method of collection
1 INTRODUCTION
The anthropometric data of a population have a wide variability in their use, being used as demographics data, as a nutritional analysis and also in development in the industry area for projects of new products and clothes, and even in safety management by designing machines and workstations. Anthropometry refers to the study of the measurements and dimensions of the human body and is considered a very important branch of Ergonomics because of its significant influence on the ergonomic design of products (Pheasant, 2003). Anthropometric data are fundamental in the design process, they give designers information about the end-user (Veitch, Caple et al. 2009). According Arezes et al. (2006), the Anthropometric data foment a compliance that helps to improve the quality of working life. Although the concepts of anthropometry have been made modern times, history shows, to be old the concern of man about measuring the body, and over time the body proportions were studied by philosophers, artists,
of anthropometric data and provide the first significant anthropometric data of the Portuguese population and also workers of the Portuguese industry. In order to compare and verify the differences between anthropometric studies, was conducted a case study, which was performed an anthropometric measurement of workers in a Food and Nutrition Unit (FNU) located in northern of Portugal. The case study measurements are aimed to make a anthropometric database for further dimensioning of workstations according to the measured population, however this article is intended to provide a comparison between the two studies and the differences found between the samples of Portuguese workers in both studies.
