Abstract

Background: body composition, as a predictive element of the possible appearance of non-communicable chronic diseases provide important information to assess the health risk of the population. In the population deprived of liberty, there are different risk factors that could affect their health condition including body composition. Therefore, this work seeks to determine the anthropometric profile of a population of male individuals deprived of liberty Methods: a non-experimental cross-sectional and descriptive study that aims to characterize the anthropometric profile of 100 individuals deprived of their liberty in the city of Talca, Chile. The sample selection was non-probabilistic for convenience because the evaluated were chosen for their accessibility to them. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used. Results: The evaluated population shows a body mass index (BMI) classified as overweight (25,69 kg/m2). The evaluated population shows an average weight of 73,2 kilos, and a fat mass average of 24,2%, regarding the waist-hip ratio (WHR), all measured groups have a value of less than 1 classified as normality, finally, the observed somatotype is mesomorph-endomorphic. Conclusions: The evaluated deprived liberty population presents slightly altered anthropometric variables with values close to normality (BMI, Fat Mass), with WHR less than 1, being classified as normal and with a somatotype who show a relative skeletal muscle development, with large bone diameters and joints, and moderate relative adiposity.