Résumé
The study was to establish the normative morphometric ear properties and height of Annang ethnic group of South–South Nigeria, highlight differences between sexes and changes with age. A total of 400 subjects (233 females and 167 males) of 16–80 years of age which met the inclusion criteria were used. Standardized measurement of human height, total ear height and width, concha height and width, lobar height and width and ear projection were taken. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 23. The mean human height was 1.61±0.08m. Total ear height, concha height and lobar height were 57.52±4.48mm; 26.2±12.89mm and 14.92±2.74mm, respectively. Total ear width, concha width, lobar width and ear projection were 34.19±3.55mm; 18.92±2.15mm; 14.01±3.61mm and 17.00±2.42mm, respectively. Ear parameters were higher in the males except for lobar width (p< 0.05). The total ear height, lobar height and width increased with age (p<0.05). Age positively correlated with right ear height with r value of 0.321 in males and 0.432 in females. The incidence of ear prominence was 7.5% in the general population. Among the Annang ethnic group, human height had a low positive correlation with total ear height.
Résumé
Background: Stature is a significant anthropometric determinant of the physical identity of an individual. Aim: This study was carried out to estimate stature of Nigerian Annang indigenes of Akwa Ibom State from hand and foot dimensions. Methods: Two hundred (200) adults Annang indigenes (100 male and female each) were randomly selected for this study. Hand and foot dimensions were obtained by direct linear measurements using a 150mm digital vernier caliper (with accuracy of 0.01mm); while stature was determined by stadiometric measurement of the height (to the nearest 0.1m). Measurements obtained include; second (2D), fourth digit (4D) and right foot length (RFL). All measurement were converted to centimeters (cm). SPSS (IBM® version 20, Armonk, New York, USA) t-test was to evaluate gender difference in the measured dimensions; while Pearson’s correlation and Generalized Linear Modeling were used to derive Regression equation for estimation of stature from the measured dimensions. The significance level was set at 95% as P≤0.05 was considered significant. Results: The t-test showed that males displayed significantly higher mean values than the females for all measured parameters (P<0.001). Single regression sex specific regression formulae were derived and the result showed that better prediction (r) values were obtained for females F (2D=0.428, 4D=0.430, RFL=0.587; P<0.01) population when compared to males M (2D=0.319, 4D=0.231, RFL=0.456; P<0.05). Conclusion: This study suggests the existence of sexual difference in hand and foot dimension and also the possibility of accurately estimating stature from the right foot length, right second and fourth digit.