DOI: 10.4103/njca.njca_195_25 ISSN: 2277-4025

Sex Determination from Hand Measurements in Adults of North Karnataka Region: A Discriminant Function Analysis

Amit Magadum, Sangeeta S. Kotrannavar, Varsha M. Shindhe, Shilpa M. Bhimalli, Sheetal V. Pattanshetti, Chetan Biradi
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Abstract

Background:

Identification of sex from skeletonized remains is fundamental in forensics. In cases where bones may not be available, the use of hand anthropometry can offer important information. The fact that body proportions differ from one population to another necessitates standards in particular regions to ensure proper gender discrimination. The current study intends to establish differences in hand dimensions based on sex in North Karnataka region.

Methodology:

A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 400 adults, comprising 200 females and 200 males, aged 18–25 years, belonging to North Karnataka region. Hand length (HL), breadth, and indices were measured for both hands using standard anthropometric methods. Descriptive statistics, t -tests, and discriminant function analysis were performed.

Results:

Significant sexual dimorphism was found for all hand measurements ( P < 0.001). Males exhibited larger dimensions than females across all parameters. Left HL demonstrated the highest individual classification accuracy (83.5%) with a minimal sex bias (1.0%). The multivariate discriminant function achieved an overall accuracy of 86.8% (cross-validated: 86.0%) with 88.0% sensitivity and 85.5% specificity.

Conclusions:

Hand measurements provide reliable sex estimation in adults from the North Karnataka region. The developed discriminant functions offer population-specific standards for forensic applications with an accuracy comparable to that of international studies.

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