Distribution of nose types among Igbos of South-East Nigeria

Abstract

Background: The nose is an important aesthetic unit that is essential in defining the facial appearance of an individual and also helps in identifying a tribe or race. Understanding the distribution of nose types within the Igbo population is crucial for elucidating patterns of human diversity, population genetics, and evolutionary anthropology. The aims of this study were to determine some nasal parameters of Igbo adults, analyze the distribution of the types, check sexual dimorphism, and to correlate the parameters with age, height, weight and body mass index (BMI) respectively Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study of 312 Igbos in Enugu of Southeastern Nigeria using cluster sampling. The nasal dimensions were measured with digital Vernier’s calipers and the nasal indices were calculated. Weight and height were also measured and BMI calculated. All data were collated and analyzed. Results: The mean age was 37.05 (±15.83). The age range was 20 to 69 years and they were grouped into 20 – 29 years group, 30 – 39, 40 – 49, 50 – 59 and 60 – 69 years groups. The range nasal height was 37.24 - 57.63mm for males, while range for females was 32.43 - 52.97mm. The range for nasal width was 37.04 - 51.29mm for males and 32.93 - 48.52mm for females. The mean nasal widths of males were significantly wider than those of females in all age groups respectively (p < 0.01). The mean nasal indices for males and females were 91.91 (platyrrhine) and 86.26 (platyrrhine) respectively. Majority of the sample population had platyrrhine nose (67%) while 32% of them had mesorrhine nose and only 1% of them had leptorrhine nose. There was a significant positive correlation between height of nose and width of nose of adult Igbos with their age, height and weight (p value <0.01) and a significant negative correlation with body mass index (p <0.01). Conclusion: This study provides valuable insights into the distribution of nose types among the Igbo people of South-East Nigeria. We have characterized the prevalence of different nose types and explored potential associations with demographic and anthropometric factors. The major nose type of Igbos is platyrrhine, while the minor one is mesorrhine. Knowledge of nasal parameters are applied in forensic studies; and in surgeries involving the nose, and this ensures that individuals do not lose their identities even after extensive nasal surgeries.