Sexual Dimorphism and Estimation of Height from Body Length Anthropometric Parameters among the Hausa Ethnic Group of Nigeria

Abstract

A cross sectional study was conducted among 500 secondary school students between the ages of 16 and 26 years. Anthropometric measurements were obtained using standard protocols.The results showed significant sexual dimorphism in all the parameters, except for body mass index. In all the body length anthropometric parameters considered in this study, males had significantly (p < 0.05) higher mean values, except in biaxillary distances. Height showed positive and strong correlations with demispan length with good correlation of determination, indicating a stronger estimation ability than other parameters. A combination of two parameters tends to give better estimations, as explained by the adjusted R 2 ; and, therefore, combining the three parameters gives better estimation accuracy.In conclusion, Hausa males tend to have larger body proportions compared to females. Height showed strong positive correlation with demispan length. Body length an- AbstractThe relationships between dimensions of the parts of the human body and the whole body have drawn the attention of anatomists, anthropologists and scientists for many years. The purpose of this study was to investigate sexual dimorphism in some body lengths and other anthropometric parameters. It also aimed to generate formulae for height estimation using anthropometric measurements of some length parameters among the Hausa ethnic group of * Corresponding

Kraniyofasiyal boyutlar kullanarak cinsiyet tahmini: Kaduna Eyaleti, Nijerya'da BT tarama görüntüleri çalışması

“…The determination of the sex of an unknown victim is paramount in developing the biological profile for personal identification in medico-legal cases 5,20 .…”

“…The presence of complete bone makes things a lot easier 1 for sex identification 1,2 with a percentage accuracy of 98% 3 . However, If the complete skeleton is not available, accuracy depends largely on what bony components are available and if the skeleton can be linked to a specific population 4,5 . However, incomplete skeleton/dismembered or fragmented skeleton as well as juvenile skeleton makes it challenging for forensic anthropologists to identify victims.…”

The Use of Foramen Magnum in The Determination of Sex Using Computed Tomography (CT) Scan Images of Sampled Population Attending National Ear Care Centre Kaduna State, Nigeria

“…Sex determination is an essential component of human identification which becomes challenging when only fragments of body parts were available for investigation by forensic scientists [1][2][3]. The DNA analysis is known to be a reliable way of estimating sex, but due to cost and time exhaustion as well as the effect of local conditions [4], the human skeletal remains are used instead as reliable determinants of sex [5].…”