Estimation of hand index for male industrial workers of Haryana State (India)

Abstract

This work analyses the right hand anthropometric dimensions of 1540 male industrial workers of the age ranging from 18 to 62 years belonging to four different divisions of Haryana state of India. Hand index derived from measured hand dimensions can be used to estimate differences related to sex, age and race in forensic and legal sciences. It has been calculated as percentage of hand breadth over the hand length; which suggests that the male industrial workers population of state belong to mesocheir group of hands. The hand length, breadth and derived index of the subjects have been compared with population of the twelve other states of the country. Comparison of hand length, hand breadth and hand index of the subjects of the state has also been made with the male population of twenty-five other countries. There exist significant differences in hand anthropometric –amongst male population of different countries and also within country - which must be taken into consideration while designing the hand tools or equipment to be controlled by users’ hands of different populations.

Keywords: Hand length, hand breadth, hand index, population identification