Employing a three-stage procedure to develop a sizing system for medical gloves

Area of Science:

• Anthropometry
• Ergonomics
• Biomechanical Engineering

Background:

• Proper glove sizing is crucial for healthcare worker performance and safety.
• Existing glove sizing systems may not adequately accommodate diverse populations.
• There is a specific need for a tailored glove sizing system for Iranian healthcare professionals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and develop an optimized glove sizing system for Iranian healthcare workers.
• To utilize anthropometric data to create a size classification that maximizes coverage.
• To establish a foundation for culturally specific glove design and fit.

Main Methods:

• Collected anthropometric data from 540 Iranian healthcare workers, measuring 33 hand dimensions.
• Employed Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and clustering analysis for size classification.
• Identified key dimensions, including middle finger length and hand breadth, as critical for sizing.

Main Results:

• Developed a six-size glove system with 94% coverage for the studied population.
• Middle finger length and hand breadth were identified as the most influential dimensions.
• The proposed system demonstrated effectiveness in classifying Iranian hand sizes.

Conclusions:

• The developed glove sizing system is suitable for Iranian healthcare workers.
• This anthropometric approach can be adapted to create effective sizing systems for other populations.
• Improved glove fit through tailored sizing can enhance user performance and comfort.