Nasal anthropometry of children and young adults of the Efik ethnic group of Cross River State, Nigeria

Abstract

Introduction: Nasal anthropometry is crucial for its diverse applications. In order to assess sexual dimorphism and classify the nose type of children and young adults of the Efik ethnic group of Cross River State, this study was designed to determine the standard values for some nasal anthropometric parameters like nasal height (NH), nasal width (NW), nasal length (NL), and nasal index (NI). Materials and Methods: The study sample consisted of 600 subjects (300 males and 300 females) aged 6-20 years, who were drawn randomly from the Efik ethnic group of Cross River State, Nigeria; they were divided into three age subgroups (6-10 years, 11-15 years, and 16-20 years) to observe the gender difference within the groups and the variations of each parameter with advancing age. Results: Sexual dimorphism was noted ( P P Conclusion: This, therefore, implies that the indigenes of the Efik ethnic group of Cross River State have platyrrhine (broad and short) nose type since they have an NI >85. The result from the present study will be useful in aesthetic and reconstruction surgery involving the nose, and also for the physical anthropologist and forensic scientist in the area of ethnic and racial identification.