ASSOCIATION OF HAND LENGTH WITH HEIGHT IN MEDICAL STUDENTS ENROLLED IN SKIMS MEDICAL COLLEGE, INDIA

Introduction: Stature is considered as one of the important parameters for personal identification. So, Stature reconstruction is important as it provides forensic anthropological estimation of the height of a person in the living state which plays a vital role in the identification of individual remains. Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate the association of hand length with height and to show if height could be predicted using hand length measurements in students of SKIMS Medical college. Methodology: The study of the anthropometric characteristics of 100 Medical College students of ages between 18-23 years of SKIMS Medical college, bemina with no obvious deformities or previous history of trauma to the spine or hand was undertaken. The study of these medical students, males (n=50) & females (n=50) was investigated. The anthropometric characteristics of their height and hand length were measured, analysed statistically for any significant difference, and correlation between the parameters studied. Results: The results show some significant differences between the anthropometric parameters Pearson’s correlation analysis was used and showed a strong positive correlation, which means that high X variable scores go with high Y variable scores.(R is 0.8229) and significant. Results from the present study show that there was a positive correlation between height and hand length indicating that height could be predicted using hand length. Conclusion: As age groups increase the mean length of hand also increase, so there is direct relation between length of hand and age groups. Definite proportion also exists between the height and hand length in an individual at all ages, irrespective of the sex. Height of an individual is 9 times the height of hand length.Thus we can predict height from hand length when it is difficult or not possible to measure height directly.