Body Weight Determination from Foot Outline Length among the Iban Population in Malaysia

Abstract

Abstract: Foot impression measurements provide valuable information in estimating stature, weight, gender and age in crime scene investigation. In Asian countries, many people living in rural places walk without footwear. The aim of this research was to generate regression equations to estimate living body weight from foot outline length among the Iban population of Malaysia. The study included 200 (100 males and 100 females) adult Ibans, mostly living in Sarawak, a state in Malaysia. Following the standard procedure, the foot outlines were collected followed by body weight measurements. The collected data were analysed with PASW 20 computer software. The correlation coefficient (R) between the foot outline lengths and body weight was determined for males, females and a pooled sample. Based on the foot outline and body weight, 30 regression equations were generated, 10 for males, 10 for females and 10 for pooled samples/unknown gender. The correlation coefficient (R) values were positive and statistically significant. It is concluded that the present investigations provided regression equations to determine body weight from foot outline anthropometry. These equations can be used to determine body weight even when partial foot impressions are available at crime scenes.

المستخلص: تشكل انطباعات القدم دليلاً مادياً قيماً لحل الجريمة. وقد قدمت قياسات انطباع القدم معلومات قيمة في تقدير طول القامة والوزن والجنس والعمر خلال التحقيق في مسرح الجريمة، ويمشي كثير من الناس في البلدان الآسيوية وخصوصاً الذين يعيشون في المناطق الريفية دون ارتداء الأحذية، ولخص الباحثون إلى أن انطباعات القدم يمكن أن توفر معلومات أكثر من بصمات الأصابع، والهدف من هذا البحث هو صياغة معادلات انحدار لتحديد وزن جسم الانسان الحي من خلال قياس طبعة القدم البشرية بين السكان في إيبان الماليزيز، ... .