Comparative study of growth patterns and stature estimation of children and adults in Cross River State, Nigeria

Accurate stature estimation is a critical component of human identification in forensic, medical, and anthropological contexts, particularly in situations involving mass disasters and fragmented remains. Body dimensions have been widely applied in stature prediction, given their relative robustness and measurability. This study investigated growth patterns and developed regression models for stature estimation among children and adults in Cross River State, Nigeria. A total of 900 participants (450 males and 450 females), consisting of 300 children (5 – 11 years), young adults (18 – 30 years), and adults (31 – 45 years), were recruited. Anthropometric parameters measured included height, weight, body mass index, sitting height, biaxillary length, demispan length, hand length, thigh length, leg length, and foot length, following standard procedures. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 19 to generate sex-specific and age-specific regression models. The findings demonstrated that demispan length was the most reliable single predictor of stature across both children and adults, yielding the highest coefficients of determination in regression models. Conversely, biaxillary length consistently exhibited the weakest predictive accuracy, highlighting its limited usefulness in stature estimation. Comparative analysis between children and adults indicated distinct growth patterns, particularly in the proportional contributions of limb lengths to overall stature. These results provide valuable population-specific baseline data for stature estimation in Cross River State and reinforce the utility of demispan length as a robust and practical anthropometric parameter. The study holds significant relevance for forensic identification, clinical assessments, and anthropological research within the Nigerian context.

Key Words: Stature estimation, growth patterns, anthropometry, regression models, Nigeria.