ANTHROPOMETRIC MEASUREMENTS OF THE HAND LENGTH AND THEIR CORRELATION WITH THE STATURE IN EASTERN INDIAN POPULATION

Abstract

Introduction: Estimation of height of an individual is important not only for anthropologists and forensic medicine personal but also for physical assessment of nutritional status of an individual by nutritionists and physicians.

Materials and Methods: Stature and hand length of 235 medical students of both sexes belonging to the Eastern part of India were measured and a correlation between the two was determined.

Result: A significant (p<0.001) positive correlation was found between the stature and hand length. Multiplication factor is found to be a more reliable tool than the regression equation for estimation of height with the help of hand length in Eastern Indian population. The multiplication factor derived for males is 9.05 and that for females is 9.26. For males the correlation coefficient obtained is r² = 0.583 (p < 0.05) and for females it is r² = 0.487 (p < 0.05)

Conclusion: The result of this study can be used as baseline information for further population based study in the eastern part of India so that the anthropologist and forensic experts can estimate the height of adult individuals of either sex by use of either of the hand. Further nutritionists and the physicians can also use the results of this study as a reference while estimating the nutritional status of adult individuals specially the bedridden patients.