de Lucia et al developed equations for estimating the height of an Ethiopian from the armspan. The analysis covers 4 ethnic groups in the country. The authors are from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Jimma University, Addis Ababa University and the Ethiopia Health and Nutrition Research Institute.
Patient selection: Oromia, Amhara, Tigre and Somali regions (ethnic groups) of Ethiopia
Age: 18 to 50 years
Measurement of armspan was taken with the patient standing and the arms outstretched, using a metal tape measure.
body mass index using armspan =
= (weight in kiligrams) / ((armspan)^2)
BMI by armspan as a function of BMI using height:
Gender
Ethnicity
Slope (BMI hgt)
y-intercept
male
Oromo
0.8
2.3
Amhara
0.91
0.27
Tigre
0.88
0.85
Somali
0.92
0.84
female
Oromo
0.85
1.5
Amhara
0.87
1.64
Tigre
0.91
0.68
Somali
0.96
0.51
To restate these to get the BMI for height from BMI by armspan
Gender
Ethnicity
BMI by height =
male
Oromo
((BMI by armspan) - 2.3) / 0.8
Amhara
((BMI by armspan) - 0.27) / 0.91
Tigre
((BMI by armspan) - 0.85) / 0.88
Somali
((BMI by armspan) - 0.84 / 0.92
female
Oromo
((BMI by armspan) - 1.5) / 0.85
Amhara
((BMI by armspan) - 1.64) / 0.87
Tigre
((BMI by armspan) - 0.68) / 0.91
Somali
((BMI by armspan) - 0.51) / 0.96
Or rewritten
Gender
Ethnicity
BMI by height =
male
Oromo
(1.25 * (BMI by armspan)) - 2.875
Amhara
(1.1 * (BMI by armspan)) - 0.297
Tigre
(1.14 * (BMI by armspan)) - 0.96
Somali
(1.09 * (BMI by armspan)) - 0.91
female
Oromo
(1.18 * (BMI by armspan)) - 1.76
Amhara
(1.15 * (BMI by armspan)) - 1.88
Tigre
(1.1 * (BMI by armspan)) - 0.75
Somali
(1.04 (BMI by armspan)) - 0.53
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