Circumferential Body Anthropometry of Igbos of Southern Nigeria
The concept of anatomical modelling was brought to the fore as a result of difficulty in procurement and preservation of cadavers and the attendant overcrowding in dissecting rooms, variations present in cadaveric specimen and the need to learn layout to recreate common surgical operations. This study aimed investigating the circumferential anthropometric body characteristics of adult male Igbos of southern Nigeria for the reconstruction of three-dimensional negroid gross anatomical model. The research design was a non-experimental, cross-sectional design. A total number of four hundred (400) subjects whose ages ranged between 21 to 40 years with BMI of 18.50 to <30.00 were used. Minimum sample size was determined using the Taro Yamane’s formula. Circumferential body anthropometric measurements and BMI were taken using standiometer, digital callipers, calibrated flexible meter tape and weighting scale. Statistical analysis was done using statistical package for the social science (SPSS version 25.0) and Microsoft Excel 2019. Continuous variables were presented as mean±SD; minimum and maximum. Age was categorized into two groups (21 – 30 and 31 – 40) years while Body Mass Index (BMI) was also categorized into two; normal weight (18.5 – 24.9 designated ? 25.0) and slightly overweight (25.0 – 30.7 designated ? 25.0). Independent sample t-test was therefore carried out to determine significant difference in the measured anthropometric parameters according to age. The confidence interval was set at 95%, therefore p< 0.05 was considered significant. Results were presented in tables. Age related changes and variations in BMI were also observed in the anthropometric parameters. On comparison with other racial populations, certain parameters were close while others varied greatly which underscores racial variation. These anthropometric values will be useful in the standardization of negroid gross anatomical models for medical studies and forensics.
Key Words: Circumferential, Whole body, Gross, Anatomical Modelling, Igbo, Negroid