The comparison stature estimation from forearm, hand length and foot length between Iranian and Pakistani medical students

Abstract

Objectives An important task of the forensic anthropologist in unidentified human remains cases is establishing the identity of the deceased. A forensic anthropologist typically examines the remains in such a case to determine the biological characteristics of the deceased, such as their age, sex, height, and ethnicity, to narrow down the search for the missing. The purpose of this study was the comparison stature estimation from foot, forearm and hand length between Iranian and Pakistani students. Methods Our measurement procedure involved measuring the foot, forearm and hand lengths of 160 Iranian and 200 Pakistani students. A random sampling of 18 to 22-year-olds was used to carry out the survey. Cluster sampling was used to select the subjects for the present descriptive and analytic study. In order to measure the anthropometrics, we used metal and plastic tape, a goniometer, a caliper, and a scale. Foot forearm and hand measurements were taken separately. Results The mean ± SD of the stature were 178.228 ± 6.319 cm and 167.610 ± 7.580 cm in Pakistani males and females, respectively, and in Iranian males and females were 180.446 ± 5.569 cm and 164.435 ± 5.072 cm, respectively. In both Pakistani and Iranian populations, the regression model is meaningful (P = 0.000), except for Pakistani male students' foot length (P = 0.107) and Iranian female students' hand length (P = 0.102). Conclusion We found that the foot, forearms, and hand length are correlated with height. Therefore, they can be used for estimating stature.