Three-Dimensional (3D) Anthropometry Study of the Malaysian Population

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) anthropometry has become an emerging field with the advancement of 3D body scanning technology over the recent years. Conventional method of anthropometry data measurement is time consuming and error-prone. The 3D whole-body surface scanner, which was initially developed for the clothing industry, contributes to healthcare application by providing accurate anthropometric measurements and data visualization in body size, shape and skin surface area. The body scanner utilized 3D photogrammetry technology to generate high quality digital anthropometric information about shapes and sizes of an individual. The aim of the study is to investigate body size and shape of Malaysian females. A cross-sectional study was conducted using random sampling technique. Recruitment of subjects were randomized and based on age and ethnicity. A preliminary study of 160 female subjects was carried out. In addition to the scanning procedures using the body scanner, selected manual anthropometric measurements for height, weight and skinfold thickness were obtained using manual methods and demographic data such as age and ethnic groups were recorded. All manual measurement followed the requirements and procedures stated in the respective ISO documents, involving body posture, landmark and the instrument used. Descriptive statistical analysis for body dimensions and calculations were carried out. The 3D scanners undoubtedly produced highly accurate, consistent and repeatable measurements. However, the scan data can be slightly different from traditional anthropometric data especially for circumference measurements such as chest, waist and hip. Therefore, scanned anthropometric data and manual measurement data are more useful together. We envisage that this study would be beneficial for healthcare providers for growth monitoring and early diagnosis of health problems related to obesity especially for the Malaysian population. Although the study focuses on the healthcare sector, datasets can also be utilized by the industry in the design and production of consumer products related on the human body.

Development of Anthropometric Database for ASEAN NCAP: A Case Study of Malaysian Children Aged 6 Years Old

“…According to Chen (1985) and Bong et al (2014), growth charts for children aged 6 years old are shown in Figures 4 and 5, respectively. Chen (1985) developed Malaysian Children Growth Chart that covered from 0 months until 69 months, while Bong et al (2014) developed the school children growth chart from aged 6.5 until 17 years old based on weight and height data.…”

“…According to Chen (1985) and Bong et al (2014), growth charts for children aged 6 years old are shown in Figures 4 and 5, respectively. Chen (1985) developed Malaysian Children Growth Chart that covered from 0 months until 69 months, while Bong et al (2014) developed the school children growth chart from aged 6.5 until 17 years old based on weight and height data. Since the scope of this research is for children aged 6 years old, the weight and height of respondents are capped within the combination range studied by Chen (1985) and Bong et al (2014) according to the gender of children.…”

“…Chen (1985) developed Malaysian Children Growth Chart that covered from 0 months until 69 months, while Bong et al (2014) developed the school children growth chart from aged 6.5 until 17 years old based on weight and height data. Since the scope of this research is for children aged 6 years old, the weight and height of respondents are capped within the combination range studied by Chen (1985) and Bong et al (2014) according to the gender of children. Based on both references, the weight of boys is capped between 14.84 until 32.93 kilograms whereas the weight of girl is between 14.92 until 30.24 kilograms.…”

“…Data trimming was conducted using the two-steps cluster for a total of 143 children aged 6year-old. It was found that 56 outliers have to be removed in order to obtain the acceptable range of weight and height as suggested by the Malaysian Growth Chart (Chen, 1985;Bong et al, 2014). This makes the total valid data for further analysis is 87 out of 143 samples respondents.…”

The importance of complex anthropometrics in the assessment of cyclists

“…Irrespective of the system used, using 3D imaging provides several advantages over manual measurement: 3D imaging systems offer the possibility of quick and direct contactless measurement of traditional and complex anthropometrics, making them highly suitable for studies with large sample sizes and atypical populations, such as SizeUSA, SizeUK (Treleaven, 2004), MySize (Bong et al, 2014) and SizeIndia (Kulkarni et al, 2011). The creation of a digital 3D image allows retrospective or immediate analysis of data and the ability to produce a digital representation of body changes over time, which is unfeasible through manual methods (Daanen & Van De Water, 1998;Robinette, 2013).…”