Development of Formulae to Determine Living Stature using Handprint Anthropometry of Tagalog People in the Philippines

Highlights: 1. This is the first-ever anthropological study on Tagalog people in the Philippines that has established formulae for determining stature using handprint length measurements.2. This study has generated formulae that are applicable for personal identification purposes within real crime scenes. Abstract Forensic science plays a crucial role in the pursuit of justice, particularly through the identification of physical evidence found at crime scenes, such as human fingerprints and handprints. This study aimed to develop formulae for determining living stature using the handprint anthropometry of Tagalog people, an indigenous ethnic group in the Philippines. A total of 360 Tagalog volunteers, comprising 180 men and 180 women, were recruited. This study excluded subjects who had finger and hand-related diseases, injuries, or were under the age of 18. The materials used were a stadiometer for height measurement, a digital vernier caliper for handprint measurements, and a handprint kit to collect handprints. Five length measurements were collected for each handprint. The length measurement spanned the distance from the middle wrist crease to the tips of each of the five fingers. The data were analyzed statistically using regression analysis (p