Body Height and its Estimation Utilizing Arm Span Measurements in Male and Female Adolescents from Northern Region in Montenegro

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the body height in Montenegrin male adolescents from northern region as well as the relationship between arm span as an alternative to estimating the body height, which would vary from region to region in Montenegro. Our investigation analyses 260 male adolescents from the northern region in Montenegro. The anthropometric measurements were taken according to the protocol of the International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK). Means and standard deviations regarding the anthropometric measurements were obtained. The relationships between body height and arm span were determined using simple correlation coefficients and their 95% confidence interval. Then a linear regression analysis was performed to examine the extent to which the arm span can reliably predict body height. The results displayed that male Northern-Montenegrins are 183.28±6.52cm tall and have an arm span of 184.29±7.71cm. Compared to other studies, the results of this study have shown that this gender made Northern-Montenegrins the tall population, taller than most of nation around the Europe. On the other hand, expectably, the arm span reliably predicts body height in this gender. However, the estimation equations which have been obtained in Northern Montenegrins are, different alike in general population, since arm span was closer to body heights (1.01±1.19 centimeters), more than in general population. Hence, this study also confirms the necessity for developing separate height models for each region in Montenegro.