Keywords
Forensic science; Body weight; Foot-outline; Bidayuh population; Malaysian Borne
Abstract
Human identification is an absolutely paramount in any forensic investigation. Scientific methods are employed both in forensic laboratory and crime scenes to achieve identification and subsequent testimony in court. Physical evidence is a key element for forensic identification. One such evidence left unintentionally by the perpetrator is foot-impression. Anthropologists assist in identification by constructing a biological profile. Human foot-impressions have been used to determine stature, gender, body weight, age and race. Foot-impression is classified into Two Dimensional (2D) and Three Dimensional /foot-outline (3D) that are lifted through different techniques for forensic examination. One way of lifting a 3D foot-impression is by the tracing technique. Because feet bear body weight, the foot-impressions are likely to correlate with weight. The utility of foot-impression as an indicator of body mass has been less explored. It is mandatory that racial and cultural aspects of foot morphology must be considered in determination of height, body weight, gender and race. The present study’s aim is to determine living body weight from foot-outline (3D) anthropometry of indigenous Bidayuhs, residing in Malaysian Borneo. The foot-outlines and body weights from the consented subjects have been collected following the standard procedure. The data obtained was computed with PASW 20 computer software and derived population specific regression equations to determine living body weight from foot-outline length measurements. The result shows that all foot-outline lengths exhibit statistically significant positive correlations with body weight. It is concluded with caution that it is erroneous to utilize these derived equations to any populations either in Malaysia or any populations in the world for body weight determination.
Citation
Nataraja Moorthy T and Hairunnisa BMAK. Regression Analysis to Determine Body Weight from Foot-Outline (3D) Anthropometry among Bidayuhs: An Indigenius Ethnic Group in Malaysian Borneo. SM J Forensic Res Criminol. 2017; 1(2): 1009