Arm span as a proxy measure for height and estimation of nutritional status: A study among Dhimals of Darjeeling in West Bengal India

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to understand the inter-relationship between height and arm span and also to estimate nutritional status from arm span.

Methods: In an anthropometric survey conducted among the Dhimals (227 males and 223 females, total = 450) of Naxalbari in West Bengal, India, measurements were recorded in age groups ranging between 10–59 years.

Results: Males were taller and had longer arm spans than females. The height-arm span ratio was 0.98–0.99, indicating height to be slightly less than arm span in both sexes. High correlation between these two dimensions was also observed. Regression equations provided a good model for estimating height from arm span (predictor). In all age groups of both sexes, values of standardized coefficient beta exhibited high significance (p ( 0.001). Residuals showed no pattern and were random. No significant difference between height-based body mass index or BMI (body weight/height²) and estimated arm span-based BMI (body weight/arm span²) was observed in any age group.

Conclusion: Arm span was found to be an effective surrogate measure for BMI.

Keywords::

• Stature
• arm span
• nutritional status
• body mass index

Acknowledgements

I thankfully acknowledge the help and cooperation extended by the subjects who took part in the investigation. I would like to appreciate specially Garjan Kumar Mallik, Prasenjit Mallik and other Dhimal community leaders at Naxalbari in Darjeeling, without whose help and support the work could not be done. I also thank my colleague Subal Das for his help during fieldwork. The present study was done under research projects partially funded by the University Grants Commission (U.G.C.), New Delhi (Sanction Memo No. 33–442 / 2007 Dated 16.4.2008); Indian Council of Social Science Research (I.C.S.S.R.), New Delhi (Sanction F. No. RP 02 / 055 / 2008 / RP Dated 04.11.2008) and Indian Council of Medical Research (I.C.M.R.), New Delhi (Sanction Memo no. - 5/9/63/2008-RHN Dated 23.11.2009). I am also grateful to Dr Luis A. Rodriguez Carvajal of the Faculty of Mathematics, Autonomous University of Yucatan (UADY), Mexico, for his valued suggestions given during the revision of the manuscript.

Declaration of interest: The author reports no conflicts of interest. The author alone is responsible for the content and writing of the paper.