STUDIES ON THE ESTIMATION OF STATURE FROM THIGH LENGTH, LEG LENGTH, FOOT LENGTH AND FOOT BREADTH OF AN INDIVIDUAL

Abstract

Background: Studies on the estimation of stature from Thigh length, Leg length, Foot length and Foot breadth of an individual are essential study in personal identification. Aim and Objectives: This study is to find out correlation between statures with lower limb dimensions in both sexes and gender comparison from an individual in Afe Babalola University Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. Material and Methods: A sample of 271 (112 males; 159 females) individuals, between 16-30 years of ages were grouped into normal, underweight, overweight and obese. The samples from each group were considered and measurements were taken for each of the parameters. Gender differences for the parameters were determined using one way Analyses of variance. Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) was used to examine the relationship between the standing height (stature) and the anthropometric parameters of the lower limbs. All these measurements were done by using standard anthropometric instruments and standard anthropometric techniques. Results:The findings of the study indicated that Out of the 112 male students, 60%,10% 18% and 12% were normal, underweight, overweight and obese respectively while out of the 159 female students, 54%,7% 28% and 11% were normal, underweight, overweight and obese respectively. In this study a significant positive correlation is found between stature and the dimensions of tight length (0.32, 0.25), leg length (0.58, 0.47), foot lengths (0.59, 0.35) and foot breadth (0.45, 0.24) in male and female respectively in the normal weight (Table 2). A significant positive correlation is found between stature and the dimensions of tight length (0.75) in female in the underweight group (Table 3). A significant positive correlation is found between stature and the dimensions of tight length (0.52, 0.36), leg length (0.62, 0.61), foot lengths (0.67, 0.48) and foot breadth (0.55, 0.33) in male and female respectively in the overweight (Table 4). A significant positive correlation is found between stature and the dimensions of leg length (0.88), foot length (0.49), and foot breadth (0.71) in female, while the male has strong positive correlation in the dimensions of the leg length (0.67) and foot breadth (0.55), in obese group (Table 5). Conclusion: All lower limb anthropometry parameters are useful estimator of stature provided the subject is of a normal weight with some specific anthropometry in underweight, overweight and obese subjects.