Estimation of stature in a quilombola community in northeastern Brazil using anthropometric measurements of the hands

Abstract

Background: Estimating or predicting stature, using fragments of the body or components of the human skeleton, for this purpose, originates from the idea of proportionality between the different parts of the body. The aim of this study is to estimate stature from anthropometric measurements of the hands (length and width). The sample consisted of 300 individuals from a quilombola community in northeastern Brazil, 150 males and 150 females. All people from the quilombola community, enjoying good general health, were included, and those people who presented deformities of the hand, spine, and lower limbs were excluded. Result: The correlation coefficients between stature and hand length values were positive and moderate. As for females, the correlation between stature and lengths of the right and left hands were respectively 0.574 (p < 0.0001) and 0.612 (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: The measure that best correlated with stature in the quilombola community in northeastern Brazil was hand length for both sexes, with the highest correlation for females.