Relationship between Cephalic Anthropometry and Somatotype among Adolescents of Hausa Ethnic Group in Kano Metropolis, Nigeria

Anthropometric studies are very important areas for craniofacial surgery and syndromology. Surgeons use these measurements to understand the unique features of a patient's face, head and body, helping them tailor their surgical approaches for optimal results. It aids in achieving aesthetic and functional improvements. Different syndromes often have distinct physical features and body proportions. By analyzing these measurements, healthcare professionals can diagnose and categorize syndromes, enabling appropriate treatment, genetic counselling, and further research. The study aimed to determine the relationship between head anthropometry (cephalic length and breadth) and somatotype among adolescents of Hausa lineage in Kano Metropolis. The design was cross-sectional. The sample size for the study was 391 subjects comprising male (196) and female (195) subjects with a median age of 15.0 from selected secondary schools in the Kano metropolis. Simple random sampling was employed to select the secondary schools and the participants. Anthropometric somatotyping was used and participants were classified into three basic somatotypes; endomorph, mesomorph and ectomorph. Cephalic anthropometry was measured using standard protocol. Spearman’s correlation was used to determine the relationship between somatotype dominant components and cephalic anthropometry (cephalic length and breadth), stepwise logistic regression analysis was deployed to predict somatotype components from cephalic parameters. A significant correlation was found between cephalic measurements and somatotype components, somatotype components were significantly predicted from cephalic parameters and cephalic breadth was the best predictor. From the findings, it can be concluded that there is an existence of a relationship between cephalic anthropometry and somatotypes of the ethnicity studied.

Key Words: cephalic anthropometry, adolescents, somatotype, endomorph, mesomorph, ectomorph, regression