The relationship between arm-span measurement and height with special reference to gender and ethnicity.
OBJECTIVE
The relationship between height and arm-span measurement in both sexes and different ethnic groups was studied in order to assess the use of the arm-span measurement as a suitable proxy indicator for height.


METHODS
School of Biological and Molecular Sciences, Oxford Brookes University.


METHODS
Five hundred and fifty-three subjects (272 male and 281 female) aged 23.3 years (s.d. 5.5).


RESULTS
Correlation coefficients (r = 0.73-0.89) indicated a clear association between arm-span measurements and height in all groups. However, arm-span was found to be significantly different (P < 0.01) from height in two ethnic groups, the Afro-Caribbean's of both sexes and Asian males. This suggests that arm-span measurements may be an inappropriate proxy for height in certain populations.


CONCLUSIONS
The arm-span measurement and height relationship is significantly different in Afro-Caribbean and Asian males. This suggests that any future studies attempting to use arm-span measurement as a proxy for height must consider these ethnic differences.
Reeves
S L
SL
School of Biological and Molecular Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Headington, UK.
Varakamin
C
C
Henry
C J
CJ
D000328:Adult; D001132:Arm / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D044466:Asian People; D044383:Black People; D001827:Body Height; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D044469:Racial Groups; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D044465:White People