Body mass estimation from the skeleton: An evaluation of 11 methods

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216208%3A11310%2F17%3A10367103" target="_blank" >RIV/00216208:11310/17:10367103 - isvavai.cz</a>

Alternative codes found

RIV/00216208:11320/17:10367103

Result on the web

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2017.10.026" target="_blank" >http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2017.10.026</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2017.10.026" target="_blank" >10.1016/j.forsciint.2017.10.026</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Body mass estimation from the skeleton: An evaluation of 11 methods

Original language description

Estimating an individual body mass (BM) from the skeleton is a challenge for forensic anthropology. However, identifying someone&apos;s BMI (Body Mass Index) category, i.e. underweight, normal, overweight or obese, could contribute to identification. Individual BM is also known to influence the age-at-death estimation from the skeleton. Several methods are regularly used by both archaeologists and forensic practitioners to estimate individual BM. The most commonly used methods are based on femoral head breadth, or stature and bi-iliac breadth. However, those methods have been created from mean population BMs and are therefore meant to estimate the average BM of a population. Being that they are based on individual BM data and estimated femoral cortical areas, the newest published methods are supposed to be more accurate. We evaluated the accuracy and reliability of the most commonly used and most recent BM estimation methods (n = 11) on a sample of 64 individuals. Both sexes and all BMI categories are represented, as well as a wide range of BM. Ages in this sample range from 20 to 87 years of age. Absolute and real differences between actual BM and estimated BM were assessed; they determined the accuracy for individual BM estimation and for average BM estimation of a population, respectively. The proportion of the sample whose estimated BM falls within +/- 10% and +/- 20% of their actual BM determines the reliability of the methods in our sample for, respectively, individual BM estimation and average BM of a population. The tested methods result in an absolute difference of 11 kg-26 kg +/- 10 kg with regards to prediction of individuals actual BM. The real differences are very variable from method to method, ranging from +/- 14 kg to 25 kg. None of the tested methods is able to estimate BM of half of the sample within +/- 10% of their actual BM but most of them can estimate BM of more than half of the sample within +/- 20% of their actual BM. The errors increase with increasing BM, demonstrating a bias in all the methods. No bone variable tested correlated with BM. BMI categories were correctly predicted for less than 50% of the sample in most cases. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that the 11 methods tested are not suited for estimating individual BM or for predicting BMI categories. However, they are accurate and reliable enough for estimating the average BM of a population.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

10600 - Biological sciences

Project

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Continuities

S - Specificky vyzkum na vysokych skolach<br>I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2017

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Forensic Science International

ISSN

0379-0738

e-ISSN

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Volume of the periodical

281

Issue of the periodical within the volume

december

Country of publishing house

IE - IRELAND

Number of pages

8

Pages from-to

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UT code for WoS article

000417055800030

EID of the result in the Scopus database

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