Quantification and analysis of human hand anthropometry: an iraqi study

Anthropometric measurements of the hand are commonly used to measure height for growth and nutrition assessments, calculate body surface area for burn patients and drug dosing, and identify individuals in forensic medicine. This study focused on Iraqi populations and conducted a bilateral analysis of hand measurements to establish a quantified relationship between males and females and between right- and left-hand dimensions using a population-specific approach. Dominant hand anthropometric measures of the Iraqi population with selected Middle Eastern populations were compared. This study found statistically significant differences in all anthropometric hand measures and stature between male and female groups, with male mean values being larger than female mean values. These findings are consistent with earlier studies that reported smaller female hand dimensions than male hand dimensions in many human communities. Moreover, the study showed that all hand anthropometric measurements were significantly and positively correlated with stature, with hand length, maximum breadth, and palm length having the highest correlation compared to other dimensions. The comparison analysis also revealed that the dominant hand length and breadth measurements of the Iraqi population were consistent with those of Middle Eastern populations. Based on these results, it is concluded that individuals aged 18-69 years old could use hand anthropometric measurements to estimate their height, and further research could include individuals outside of that age range. This study provides a valuable database for diverse demographics and serves as a significant source of information for scientific research.