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Available online at http://arjournal.org
APPLIED RESEARCH JOURNAL
RESEARCH ARTICLE
ISSN: 2423-4796
Applied Research Journal
Vol.1, Issue, 4, pp.242-246, June, 2015
CORRELATION BETWEEN STANDING HEIGHT AND ARM SPAN IN YOUNG ADULTS – A
CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY
1
L.G. Kithmini Kasunka, 2*Joseph Oliver Raj, 3Watson Arulsingh
(BPT Intern), Alva’s College of Physiotherapy, Moodbidri, 574227, D.K, India.
Professor, Alva’s College of Physiotherapy, Moodbidri-574227 D.K, India.
3 Associate professor, Alva’s College of Physiotherapy, Moodbidri-574227 D.K, India.
1
2*
ARTICLE INFO
ABSTRACT
Article History:
Background: Height is a significant parameter for assessing growth and
development of an individual. It can vary in different populations. There are
quite a handful of studies which support using arm span to substitute height
for predicting lung volumes. The associations of arm span and body height
was found to vary in different ethnic and racial groups. No such studies
have been carried out in Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka, India. This
study was done to show whether there is any relationship between height
and arm span for young adults in Dakshina Kannada district.
Methodology: Height and arm span were measured in 34 boys and 119 girls
from Alva’s Education Foundation, Moodbidri with the help of stadiometer
and calibrated steel tape. The height measured was vertical distance from
the vertex to floor. Arm span measured was the straight distance between tip
of middle fingers right and left, when the arms are fully stretched and are
parallel to the floor. For statistical analysis (Statistical Package for Social
Sciences) SPSS Version 16 was used.
Result: Pearson correlation was used to correlate variables. Mean height for
girls 157.38 (SD =6.96) cm and for boys 167.93 (SD=6.98) cm. Mean arm
span for girls 161.63 cm and for boys 176.2 cm.
The correlation coefficient between height and arm span was 0.890 for girls
and 0.826 for boys. P< 0.05 for both groups. Correlation is significant at the
0.01 level.
Conclusion: Height and arm span have strong correlation and arm span can
be used as reliable parameter for predicting the height of young adult
individuals.
Received: 01, May, 2015
Final Accepted: 08, June, 2015
Published Online: 16, June, 2015
Key words:
Standing height, arm span, stadiometer, Dakshina
Kannada.
© Copy Right, ARJ, 2015. All rights reserved
1. INTRODUCTION
Length of certain long bones and appendages of body represent a certain relationship in the form of
proportion to height[1]. Once the skeletal maturity is complete, the proportions do not alter with age. Height
is a quantitative or qualitative measurement of personality. It can be used as an indicator of growth, body
size, physiological variables, physical capacities, and nutritional status of human body[2]. Adult height
between populations often differs significantly.
It might be affected by nutritional factors, environmental factors and genetic factors. Significant role is
played by genetic factors especially HMGA2 gene. Correlation between mother and son, father and daughter
has been stated by genetic studies. On average adult males are taller than adult females. The tallest race of
humans is Nilotic people of Sudan. Most of males’ average height is 1.9 m (6 feet and 3 inches) and female
are about 1.8 m (5 feet 11 inches)[3]. Arm span or arm reach is physical measurement of length from one
end of individuals arm (measured at the finger tips) to other, arm raised parallel to the ground at shoulder
*Corresponding author: Joseph Oliver Raj, Email: [email protected]
Professor, Alva’s College of Physiotherapy, Moodbidri-574227 D.K, India.
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L.G. Kithmini Kasunka et. al.
height at hundred and eighty degree angle. Average arm span of a person depends usually on age, sex and
height.
Standing height has also been calculated from anthropometric measurements of bony fragments, height
of spine, face breadth, limb and foot measurements[1].
In patients who are unable to stand straight due to physical disability, structural defects such as
kyphoscoliosis or neuromuscular weakness or leg amputation and osteoporosis, standing height can be
estimated from arm span measurements.
This may be done by direct substitution by the latter or by application of a fixed correction factor based
on arm span : height ratio or by estimating height from arm span using regression equations[8]. Despite
many articles agree with statement of arm span measurements can be a good predictor of standing height,
some controversy still prevails while reviewing the below mentioned articles.
The associations of arm span and body height was found to vary in different ethnic and racial
groups[15]. Yet Torres et al. and Hickson and Frost, applying the Bland Altman analysis, observed a poor
agreement between the arm span and height even though these correlate well. This suggests that arm-span
measurements may be an inappropriate proxy for height in certain populations.
Additionally, in comparison with the young age group, the mean difference between height and arm span
was the highest in the postmenopausal age group [5].
Many studies of this interest are available on western populations; very few studies explored this relation
in Gujarat, West Bengal and Punjab on Indian population. None of the studies have been carried out in the
region of Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka district in exploring relationship between standing height of
individual and arm span.
This study was carried out in young adults in Alva’s Education Foundation, Moodbidri where students
from different part of Karnataka stay, to assess the use of arm span to determine the standing height. The
measurements of height and arm span and relationship between them have applied significance in forensic
medicine, plastic and cosmetic surgery and other allied clinical sciences.
2. MATERIALS AND METHODS
The subjects were healthy young adults aged 20-25 years, both male and female in Alva’s Education
Foundation, Moodbidri. 153 subjects volunteered to participate in this study.
2.1. Materials Used
1. Stadiometer
2. Calibrated steel tape
Healthy students were included between the age group of 20-25 years old. Both gender participated.
Subjects were excluded if they had any orthopedic problems such as scoliosis, kyphosis, deformities in limbs
and joint or muscle pathology. Medical conditions like osteoporosis, metabolic diseases, and cancers.
Consent forms were used and Alva’s Institutional review board Committee(s) approved this study.
3. PROCEDURE
The body height is the perpendicular distance between the top of the head (the vertex) and the bottom of
the feet. It was measured using stadiometer to the nearest 0.1 centimeters in bare feet with the participants
standing upright against the stadiometer (Figure 1). The respondents had to put their feet together and move
back until their heels touched the bottom of the stadiometer upright.
Their buttocks and upper part of their back were in contact with the stadiometer upright, but their head
did not have to touch the stadiometer. The participant’s head had to be in the horizontal plane. The vertex
was the highest point on their head, otherwise the participant’s had to raise or lower their chin until it was in
the Frankfort horizontal plane to align their head properly (Figure 2).
The arm span is the anthropometric measurement of the length from the tip of the middle fingers of the
left and right hands when raised parallel to the ground at shoulder height at a one-hundred eighty degree
angle. It was measured using a calibrated steel tape to the nearest 0.1 centimeters in bare feet on a level
concrete floor with their upper backs, buttocks and heels against the wall providing support.
The participant’s head was also in the Frankfort horizontal plane and the arms were outstretched at right
angles to the body with palms facing forwards. The measurements were taken from one middle fingertip to
the other middle fingertip, with the tape passing in front of the clavicles while two field workers supported
(Figure 3). The measurements were taken twice and average was calculated.
Body height and arm span were taken according to the protocol of the International Society for the
Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK)
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Applied Research Journal
Figure 1 Measurement of height is the vertical distance from
the vertex to the floor.
Vol.1, Issue, 4, pp.242-246, June, 2015
Figure 2 Measuring height using stadiometer
Figure 3 Arm span is the straight distance between one middle finger to other, when the arms are fully stretched and are
parallel to the floor.
4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
SPSS 16 version was utilized. Normative test was done. Pearson correlation was used to test correlation
between these measures. Table 1 describe Mean standing height of Male and female participants of this
study. Table 2 describe Mean arm span of Male and female participants of this study. Table 3 describes
correlation values of arm span and standing height of participants. Figure 3 explains bar diagram of gender
variation of observed variables.
L.G. Kithmini Kasunka et. al.
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Table1 Mean standing height of Male and female
Height
Male
167.93± 6.98 cm
Mean
Female
157.38±6.96cm
Table 2 Mean arm span of Male and female participants
Arm span
MALE
176.22±8.90 cm
Mean
FEMALE
161.93±8.56cm
Male, Arm
Span, 176.22
Male,
Standing
Height, 167.93
Female,
Standing
Height, 157.38
Female, Arm
Span, 161.93Male
Female
Figure 4 Bar diagram of gender variation of observed variables
Male
Table 3 Correlation values of arm span and standing height of male and female participants.
Female
r= 0.826
Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level
r= 0.890
Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level
5. DISCUSSION
This study contributes to a very important update of average body heights among males and females.
The mean height of male participated in this study was 167.93± 6.98 and female was 157.38±6.96. The
results of the studies which were done before are also very similar to the correlation obtained in the present
study (male: r=0.826; women: r=0.890). The correlation is significant at 0.01 for both male and female. This
study result goes in accordance with other studies that has been done in the region of Punjab, West Bengal
and Gujarat[1, 2, 13]. This study which was carried out in Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka too reports
that arm span is little longer than overall subjects standing height[13].
Even though correlation which was obtained is similar the values of height obtained are substantially
different from other population. This study is on unbiased mixed homogenous young adults. Though racial
and ethnic factors are known to influence the measurements, no such grouping was done in the study because
it is beyond the scope of the present work. The obvious limitation of this study was composition of the
measured sample consisted of only 153 subjects and all are college students. Therefore it is necessary to do a
separate research for each population on account of ethnic difference and wider age range using bigger
sample for prediction of body height utilizing arm spans measurement.
This study would be of special importance in certain circumstances, such as obtaining height of nonambulatory persons. This would also be used by the anthropologist, equipment's designers, ergonomists and
dress designers, etc.
6. CONCLUSION
1. Height and arm span have strong correlation in young adults.
2. Arm span can be used as reliable parameter for predicting height in young adults.
3. It can be useful for predicting height changes due to abnormal condition in skeletal system.
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7. Acknowledgements
I am grateful to my parents, my teachers and friends who helped me in a different way throughout my study.
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