Stature estimation from various three-dimensional anthropometric foot measurements of Taiwanese female population

Abstract

Predicting a victim's stature from a dismembered body or human remains is a challenge in forensic practice. Lower extremity dimensions, such as the foot, are essential measurements for stature estimation. However, there is no available information on stature prediction generated from Taiwanese female foot measurements in the forensic science field. Hence, this study aims to investigate the correlations between various foot dimensions and stature and develop population-specific stature-prediction equations for Taiwanese females. Bilateral data of 12 foot dimensions were collected from 1058 females aged from 18 to 59 years using three-dimensional scanning. A pairedt-test is performed to evaluate bilateral differences, and linear and stepwise regression analyses are performed to generate stature predictions. The results indicate significant bilateral differences in the majority of the foot measurements. All measurements are positively correlated with stature (p < .05). Higher correlation coefficients with stature are observed in length-related foot dimensions, followed by girth- and breadth-related dimensions. The foot length on both sides is selected as an accurate and reliable parameter to conduct linear stature-predicting regression for Taiwanese females because it exhibits the highest explanation rate (right: 54.1%; left: 50.8%) and lowest estimating standard error (right: 3.883 cm, left: 4.020 cm) among the 12 foot measurements. Based on the results of the stepwise regression analysis, several stature-prediction equations consisting of various foot measurements are established. The findings of this study can provide helpful information for predicting the stature of Taiwanese females from fragmentary foot remains.