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Updated: Jul 20, 2026
Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
An Association Between Left-Hand Digit Ratio (2D:4D) and Anthropometric Indexes in Chinese Children and Adolescents
Ya Zhang1, Ruiyao Cao1, Wenxiu Li1
1Department of Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu, China.
Objectives:
The digit ratio (2D:4D) is a possible marker of prenatal hormone exposure. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between digit ratio (2D:4D) and anthropometric indexes in Chinese children and adolescents.
Methods:
This study is a cross-sectional study. A school-based survey among 685 children and adolescents aged 8-15 years were conducted by stratified cluster sampling. The length of index finger (2D) and ring finger (4D) of the left hand, height, sitting height (ST), weight, chest circumference (CC), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), and abdominal skinfold thickness (AST) were measured. Pearson correlation and multivariate linear regression were used to analyze associations between 2D:4D and above indexes.
Results:
In girls, 2D:4D was positively related to WC, AST, waist-to-height (WHtR), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) after adjusting for ages (p < 0.05). The WC, AST, WHtR, and WHR among girls with 2D:4D ≥ 1 were significantly higher than those among girls with 2D:4D < 1, respectively (p < 0.05). However, there was no correlations between digit ratio (2D:4D) and above anthropometric indexes in boys (p > 0.05).
Conclusions:
The 2D:4D was related to anthropometric indexes in girls, which suggests that the maternal prenatal hormone exposure might be related to the anthropometric indexes of their female offspring.
