Palm surface area database and estimation formula in Korean children using the alginate method

Abstract

Studies of palm surface area (PSA) have been investigated as an important reference area unit in physiology and medicine today. Most previous PSA studies have been limited to adults. The purpose of this study was to archive Korean children's PSA data and to calculate an optimized formula for estimating PSA. A total of 305 people, 186 boys and 119 girls all aged between 7 and 18 years, were recruited for this study and their PSA was directly measured by a useful, accurate, and quick method - the alginate method. Mean PSA for males and females was found and the optimized formula for estimating PSA was computed. It would be meaningful to note that this trial was the first to generate data from Korean children, which could be widely available for utilization in anthropometry, toxicology research, thermal physiology and in skin burn studies for Asian children. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.