A method for estimating weight in children from femoral midshaft diameter and age.
In this investigation, we relate transverse midshaft diameter of the femur, age, and weight in a sample of 183 children from Central Ohio. Age and femur diameter considered separately are similar in their ability to predict weight. Considering all sex and ancestry groupings (male, female, white, black), age explains between 90% to 96.8% of the variation in weight while femur diameter explains between 93% to 97.4%. However, estimates of individual weight from age or femur diameter have very large 95% prediction limits. Using age and femur diameter together results in a greater proportion of the variation in weight explained, 97.7% for the total sample, but the 95% prediction limits are similar to those using femur diameter alone.
Department of Anthropology, Ohio State University, Columbus.
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D018732:Forensic Anthropology / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values