Linear Body Anthropometry of Yorubas of Southern Nigeria

The attendant overcrowding in dissecting rooms and difficulty in procurement and preservation of cadavers, variations present in cadaveric specimen and the need to learn layout to recreate common surgical operations were the reasons for which the concept of anatomical modeling was opted for. The aim of this study was to investigate the linear body anthropometry of Yorubas of southern Nigeria for future reconstruction of three-dimensional negroid gross anatomical model. The research adopted 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. The Taro Yamane’s formula was used to derive the minimum sample size. BMI and linear body anthropometric measurements were taken using standiometer, 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 variables across age and BMI groups. 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. These anthropometric values will find use in the standardization of negroid gross anatomical models for medical studies and forensics.

Key Words: Linear, Whole body, Gross, Anatomical Modelling, Yoruba, Negroid