Comparison of Height, Hand Length and Foot Length between the Tribal and the Non tribal population of North East India

Abstract

Background: Estimation of body parameters is an important part of human anthropology and forensic science. Aims: To compare the height, hand length and foot length between the tribal and non-tribal population of North-east India and also to find the correlation between the hand length, foot length and height. Methods: Measurements were taken from a total of 200 healthy adults of which 100 (50 males + 50 females) belonging to the tribal community and another 100 (50 males+50 females) belonging to the non-tribal community. Height, hand and foot length were measured and their mean and standard deviation were calculated. Hand length to foot length ratio, hand length and foot length to height ratio and the correlation between the hand length and foot length and hand length to height and foot length to height were studied in all the groups. Result: All the studied parameters showed extremely statistical significance (P < 0.0001) when compared between the tribal and the non-tribal group and also between the males and the females of both the groups. There was a significant positive correlation between hand length, foot length and height in all the groups. Conclusion: From the present study it is concluded that if the length of one parameter is known, the other could be accurately calculated from the regression equations.

Keywords

• foot length
• hand length
• height
• non-tribal
• north-east part of india
• tribal