RESUMEN
The aim of this study was to develop formulae for stature and sex estimation using foot length and foot width. A total of 150 subjects ranging in age from 20 to 30 years were recruited from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Kampus Kuala Lumpur (UKMKKL). The subjects were Malays (45 males and 45 females) and Chinese (30 males and 30 females). Stature, foot length and foot width were measured using anthropometric instruments in millimetres. Statistical analysis indicated that bilateral variation of various lengths was insignificant for all the foot measurements (Foot length/FL: t(298) = -0.235, p = 0.815; Foot width/FW: t(298) = 0.932, p = 0.352). Sex differences were found to be highly significant for all the measurements (Stature/S: t(148) = 12.550, p < 0.05; FL:t(148) = 11.692, p < 0.05; FW:t(148) = 8.321, p < 0.05). Stature was highly significant in Chinese rather than Malay (t(148) = -3.103, p < 0.05) but no significant differences were found in all the foot measurements (FL: t(148) = 0.002, p = 0.999; FW:t(148) = 1.362, p = 0.175). The highest correlation was found between stature and foot length in all groups. Linear and Multiple Regression Analysis were used to develop formulae for stature estimation. However, the latter was found to be more accurate as the correlation coefficient was highest in the combination of foot length and foot width in all the formulae (S = 585.298+(4.898xFL)-(1.453xFW), F(2,149 = 149.324, p < 0.01, R2 = 0.670). Formulae for sex estimation were obtained by using the Classification Tree Analysis. Result had indicated that sex estimation formulae can help to determine the sex with 86.3-87.5% accuracy in females and 85.2-85.7% accuracy in males by using foot length while the accuracy is 68.4-76.8% in females and 77.8-81.0% in males by using foot width.
RESUMEN
Estimation of stature holds a special place in the field of Forensic anthropometry. The present study is an attempt to evaluate a possible correlation between stature of an individual & six parameters; hand-length, hand-width, foot-length, foot-width, forearm length & knee-to-ankle length individually in a local population of Mumbai. A sample of 300 medical students; 147 male & 153 female studying in Grant Medical College & Sir JJ Group of Hospitals was considered & measurements were taken for each of the parameters. It was found that all the six parameters showed a correlation with stature but at different degrees (significance calculated through the paired t-test). Forearm-length showed the highest degree of correlation (r = 0.6558) followed by foot-length (r = 0.6102). Knee-to-ankle length showed the lowest degree of correlation (r = 0.2086). Mathematical formulae for estimating stature were developed for each of these parameters through basic linear regression. It can be concluded that the present study has provided regression equations for six different parameters that can be used for stature estimation in the population of Mumbai. These equations should not be used for other Indian population groups.