Correlation Of Sex, Height And Handedness With Anthropometric Foot And Hand Measurements Of Young Adult Ghanaians

ABSTRACT Studies have marked the importance of the relationship between height and hand and foot dimensions for forensic research. Also, the interaction between height, sex-related asymmetries, and handedness related asymmetries in hands and feet have been shown to vary in different populations. Hence the aims of this study are to determine whether foot and hand dimensions (length, breadth and circumference) are good estimators of sex and height and whether handedness and sex are associated with the length asymmetries of the hands and feet. The study sample consisted of 100 (89 right-handed and 11 left-handed) male and 100 (90 right-handed and 10 left-handed) female students aged 18-30 years (average age: 22.37 ± 3.18 years) from the University of Ghana, College of Health Sciences, Korle-Bu. Measurements of standing height, length, breadth and circumference of both hands and both feet were taken and then handedness was determined using the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory. Statistical analysis included univariate and multivariate linear correlation and regression models for height estimation. Sex prediction involved sectioning point analysis and multivariate linear correlation and regression analyses. Mean height was 175.13 ± 7.82 cm in males and 164.23 ± 6.18 cm in females. All the height models were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Male left foot length (LFL) correlated most positively with height and had the highest predictability for the linear models (r = 0.753, R 2 = 0.567) while the right foot in males yielded the best coefficients for the multiple regression models (r = 0.759, R 2 = 0.577). Sex was estimated more accurately in females (RHL = 92.85%) than males (LHL = 82.85%) from sectioning point analysis and multiple regression methods (right foot: 92.85% and 80.00% respectively). In addition, sex rather than handedness had a significant influence on standardised hand length (p = 0.007) with asymmetry mostly favouring the left in hands and feet, irrespective of handedness. These results suggest that foot and hand dimensions can be used to predict height and sex in young adults especially with dimensions of length