Sacral morphometrics for sex estimation of dead cases in Central Thailand

Sex estimation by various forensic anthropology approaches is a crucial factor for identification of human skeletal remains. However, inexpensive, uncomplicated and reliable methods are still required, especially in a remote crime scene and a high crime incidence area. Here, we examined 13 sacral parameters from 78 independent skeletons derived from deceases found in Central Thailand (male, n = 46; female, n = 32) using simple standard anthropometric techniques for sex allocation. Discriminant analysis exhibited that anterior-posterior diameter of S₁ vertebra corpus (APS) is the most accurate sacral parameter for sex determination in our study with 82.1% of correct discrimination rate. The accuracy could be improved up to 97.4% when additional three sacral variables including the length of sacrum measured from the medial anterior-superior sacral promontory to the medial anterior-inferior S₅ vertebra (ASL), alar index (ALI), and the maximum anterior breadth of sacrum measured across sacral alar (ABS) were computed together with APS. These encourage the use of sacral morphometrics for sex assessment of human sacrum remains in Central Thailand. However, further investigation with broadening sacral morphometric data across the country might provide a promising sex determination equation from a sacral skeleton for Thai population.     

Maximal oxygen uptake,anthropometry and physical activity in a randomly selected sample of 8 and 13 year old children in Sweden

Summary Maximal oxygen uptake was assessed in 101 randomly selected 8 and 13 year old children. In both age groups a significantly higher aerobic capacity was found in boys than in girls, both in absolute terms and when maximal oxygen uptake was related to body weight, lean body mass and lean leg volume. Among girls, maximal oxygen uptake per kg body weight was lower in the older than in the younger (p<0.05). Estimation of spontaneous physical activity, by means of a questionnaire and the actometry method, indicated that physical activity was greater in children with a high than in those with a low aerobic capacity.     

青少年特发性脊柱侧凸青春期生长发育形态学特征

目的探讨青少年特发性脊柱侧凸(adolescentidiopathicscoliosis,AIS)患儿青春期生长发育的形态学特征。方法对256例12～16岁(平均14.1岁)AIS女性患儿及462例12～16岁(平均14.3岁)健康非侧凸女孩的大体形态学资料进行分析。AIS诊断标准为冠状面上>10°的脊柱侧凸畸形。观测指标包括身高、坐高、臂长及月经状况。采用Bjure公式计算校正身高及校正坐高。AIS组及对照组的各项指标进行比较分析。结果AIS组与对照组的年龄构成比较,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。从研究群体看,AIS组的身高、坐高以及臂长与对照组比较,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05),但校正身高、校正坐高显著高于对照组(P<0.01),且月经来潮早于对照组(P<0.01)。从各年龄组看,12岁时,AIS组的校正身高、校正坐高、臂长与对照组相比差异无统计学意义(P>0.05),甚至AIS组校正前平均身高低于对照组。13～15岁,AIS组的校正身高、校正坐高、臂长显著高于对照组(P<0.01)。16岁时,虽然AIS组的校正身高及校正坐高略高于对照组(P<0.05),但身高、坐高以及臂长与对照组比较差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论AIS患儿青春期生长发育存在形态学的异常,这可能与其发病机制有关。     

Body composition in the elderly: Total body water and anthropometry

Body composition measured with isotopic dilution was compared with anthropometric measurements. The study was carried out in 47 subjects from both sexes, 65 to 92 years old. Total body water (TBW), anthropometric measurements, and dynamometry were assessed. TBW was significatively higher in men than women and decreased with age. Dynamometry and fatfree mass were well correlated (r=0.73 in males and r=0.58 in females) and significantly different between sexes. A negative correlation was found for dynamometry with age, being significant for women. Linear regression equations to predict TBW from anthropometric measurements in males and females were obtained: Males: TBW(I)=19.349+0.617 weight(kg) — 0.931 mid-arm circumference(cm)+0.122 dynamometry (kg) Females: TBW(l)=−5.531+0.343 weight(kg)-0.213 triceps skinfold (mm)+ 0.148 dynamometry(kg) + 3.424 wrist diameter (cm). This simple model is proposed for use in epidemiological and field studies where other more sophisticated methods can not be applied.     

低角度青少年特发性脊柱侧凸女性患者的骨密度分析

目的分析低角度青少年特发性脊柱侧凸(adolescent idiopathic scoliosis,AIS)女性患者的骨密度(BMD)和骨矿含量(BMC),探讨其与年龄、生长发育、人体测量学和侧凸角度等的相关性。方法研究对象为218例Cobb角15～40°的女性AIS患者。运用双能X线骨密度吸收仪测定非优势侧股骨颈和腰椎的BMC/BMD。探讨这两个部位的BMC/BMD与患者的年龄、生长发育、人体测量学和侧凸角度等的相关性。结果所有患者的年龄平均为(13.4±1.4)岁,Cobb角平均为(28.3±6.2)°。股骨颈BMD平均为(0.827±0.103)g/cm2,腰椎BMD平均为(0.887±0.124)g/cm2,显著低于同龄健康女性儿童;股骨颈BMC平均为(3.49±0.56)g,腰椎BMC平均为(29.78±7.37)g。患者的BMC/BMD与Cobb角无显著相关,而与体重、身高、Risser征、月经状况、BMI和年龄显著相关。逐步回归分析显示,体重和年龄是影响患者BMD的主要因素。结论低角度女性AIS患者存在全身性的骨量减低,且与Cobb角无显著相关,而与生长发育和人体测量学相关指标显著相关。这提示AIS患者的骨量减低与生长发育和低体重有关。     

Detection of low birth-weight new born babies by anthropometric measurements in Bangladesh

Birthweight is an important indicator of child survival. Appropriate and timely care of a newborn specially if he is born with low birthweight is important but this is difficult in developing countries since most of the deliveries are conducted at home where adequate facilities to weigh a new born does not exist. This study was conducted to find out a surrogate which could efficiently be used for detecting low birthweight babies at birth when no weighing machine is around. In this study 41% of the newborn babies were found to weigh less than 2,500 gm at birth. Out of this about 52% were females. The mean chest, thigh and mid-arm circumference at birth for males were 30.89 cm, 15.06 cm and 9.27 cm respectively with standard deviations of 1.83 cm, 1.30 cm and 1.04 cm. Corresponding figures for female babies were 30.69 cm, 15.14 cm and 9.25 cm respectively with standard deviations of 2.08 cm, 1.70 cm and 1.16 cm. Correlation co-efficient between normal birthweight and the chest, thigh and mid-arm circumference were 0.867, 0.845 and 0.842 respectively. A liner regression analysis showed that a chest circumference of 30.14 cm, a thigh circumference of 14.56 cm and a mid-arm circumference of 8.90 cm corresponded well with a birthweight of 2,500 gm. On this basis sensitivity, specificity and predictive values of the chest circumference was better than the other two measurements. However, the mid-arm circumference was observed to be more reliable than the other two measurements for detecting birthweight less than 2,000 gm. A home made measuring tape has been devised on this basis to detect brithweights with cut-off values for 2,500 gm, 2,000 gm to 2,500 gm and 2,000 gm in different shades of colour for illiterate birth attendants.     

Relative body fat and anthropometric prediction of body density of female athletes

Summary Ninety-one percent (n=182) of the female members of South Australian representative squads in 14 sports volunteered to act as subjects. Twenty-seven percent of them had represented Australia. The underwater weighing method together with the measurement of residual volume (RV) by helium dilution were used to determine body density (BD); the percent body fat (% BF) was then computed according to Siri.A stepwise multiple regression analysis yielded a correlation coefficient (R) of 0.863 between the criterion (BD) and the best weighted sum of predictors (anthropometric variables): BD (g·cm^–3)=1.14075–0.04959 (log₁₀ triceps, subscapular, supraspinale and calf skinfolds in mm)+0.00044 (age in decimal years)–0.000612 (waist girth in cm)+0.000284 (height in cm)–0.000505 (gluteal girth in cm)+0.000331 (breast girth in cm).Only those predictors which resulted in a statistically significant increase inR (p0.05) were included. The standard error of estimate of 0.00597 g · cm^–3 was equivalent to 2.7% BF at the mean. This equation was shown to be largely population specific. There was a range of 7.6–35.8% of BF and the overall mean of 18.5% was significantly lower (p<0.001) than that of 23.4% obtained on a moderately active reference sample of similar age (n=135). If group sizes of only one or two are regarded as too small for meaningful comparison, then the lowest mean of 13.5% was achieved by the long-distance runners (n=14). The highest averages were registered by the heavyweight rowers (24.2%;n=7) and soccer players (22.0%;n=11). The overall average for games players (n=107) was 19.4%.This study was supported by a grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia     

Ethnic, Anthropometric, and Lifestyle Associations with Regional Variations in Peak Bone Mass

The study investigated the ability of ethnicity and anthropometric and lifestyle factors to account for differences within subjects in bone mass at different skeletal sites. The subjects were young, adult, Japanese, Filipino, Hawaiian, and white women ages 25–34. In the preliminary analyses, they were divided into thirds based on their BMD z-scores. Thirty-five percent exhibited high variability in bone mass: they were in the upper third at one or more bone sites and in the lower third at one or more sites. Other women had more generalized low bone mass: 25% were in the lowest third for two or more sites, and there were no sites with low bone mass in the upper third. In subsequent analyses, ethnicity, anthropometry, and lifestyle influences were examined as possible predictors of differences in bone mineral content (BMC) between bone sites in bone-size adjusted models. White women had greater BMC at the proximal radius and calcaneus than at the distal radius compared with other ethnic groups. This may be explained by the fact that they had exceptionally wide bone widths at the distal radius. Of the anthropometric variables, fat mass was associated with higher bone mass at sites with higher proportions of cancellous tissue (calcaneus > spine > radius sites). Muscle mass was associated with greater bone mass at the calcaneus and proximal radius than at the spine. For the lifestyle variables, women with greater milk consumption between the ages of 10–24 years had higher spine bone mass than expected from their measurements at the proximal radius. Women 12–17 years of age who had been more active in sports had higher calcaneous bone mass than expected from their spine measurements. As the study participants were still young women, the results suggest that regional differences in bone mass may partly derive from anthropometric and lifestyle influences during skeletal maturation. Received: 6 March 1998 / Accepted: 15 December 1998     

身体测量指标与女性乳腺癌关系的前瞻性队列研究

目的研究上海女性身体测量指标与绝经前后乳腺癌之间的关系.方法采用前瞻性队列研究方法.1997-2000年在上海市区建立一个73 461人年龄40～70岁的女性队列.每2年随访一次,至2004年6月共收集乳腺癌新发病例432例.用Cox回归模型估计身体测量指标与女性乳腺癌发生的相对危险度（RR）和95%可信区间（CI）.结果调整年龄、文化程度、能量摄入、月经、生育等混杂因素后,基线调查时体重、体重指数（BMI）、腰臀围比例（WHR）和20岁后体重增加与绝经后女性乳腺癌危险性呈正相关,与绝经前女性乳腺癌发生无关.身高与乳腺癌危险的显著正相关关系仅在绝经前女性中发现,20岁时身高在161 cm以上者发生乳腺癌的危险是157.1 cm以下者的1.84倍（95%CI：1.30～2.61）.20岁时BMI处于平均水平者绝经前患乳腺癌的危险性显著高于其他两组.BMI和WHR互相调整后,WHR独立于BMI的作用接近显著性水平.调整BMI后,20岁后体重增加会显著增加绝经后乳腺癌危险（RR=1.61,95%CI：1.09～2.37）.结论对于绝经后女性,成年后体重增加和中心性肥胖都是预测乳腺癌危险的指标.因此控制成年后体重、减少腹部脂肪堆积是预防绝经后乳腺癌发生的有效措施.身高可能是影响绝经前女性乳腺癌发生的危险因素.