Normative anthropometry and proportions of the Kenyan-African face and comparative anthropometry in relation to African Americans and North American Whites

Saurab S. Virdi,Farhad B. Naini,David Wertheim

doi:10.1186/s40902-019-0191-7

Abstract

BackgroundThere is no normative craniofacial anthropometric data for the Kenyan-African population. The purpose of this investigation was to determine normative anthropometric craniofacial measurements and proportional relationships for Kenyans of African descent and to compare the data with African Americans (AA), North American Whites (NAW), and neoclassical canons.MethodsTwenty-five direct facial anthropometric measurements, and 4 angular measurements, were taken on 72 Kenyan-African participants (age range 18–30 years) recruited at the University of Nairobi in Kenya. The data were compared with AA and NAW populations, and neoclassical canons. Descriptive statistics of the variables were computed for the study population.ResultsSignificant differences between both Kenyan males and females were detected in forehead height (~ 5 mm greater for males, ~ 4.5 mm for females), nasal height (reduced by ~ 4 mm in males, ~ 3 mm in females), nasal width (8–9 mm greater), upper lip height (> 3 mm), and eye width (greater by ~ 3 mm) compared to NAW subjects. All vertical measurements obtained were significantly different compared with NAW. Differences were observed in comparison with AA subjects, but less marked. Mouth width was similar in all groups. Angular measurements were variable. Neoclassical canons did not apply to the Kenyan population.ConclusionsAnthropometric measurements of NAW showed clear differences when compared with the Kenyan population, and variations exist with comparative AA data. The anthropometric data in terms of linear measurements, angular measurements, and proportional values described may serve as a database for facial analysis in the Kenyan-African population.

Highlights

There is no normative craniofacial anthropometric data for the Kenyan-African population
Examiner reliability The results of intraexaminer reliability were calculated using the Bland-Altman test, Dahlberg method, and absolute difference divided by the mean
All the methods showed a low method error that was generally less than 0.5 mm for linear measurements and < 2.4° for angular measurements, which is considered acceptable (Fig. 1, Table 1)

Summary

Introduction

There is no normative craniofacial anthropometric data for the Kenyan-African population. The first study to test the pertinence of neoclassical facial canons included samples of 6-, 12-, and 18-year-old North American Caucasians [4]. The appropriateness of these canons has been tested in other ethnic groups including Indian [6, 7], African-American [8], Turkish [9], Vietnamese, Thai, and Chinese populations [10]. These anthropometric studies were performed by means of using direct manual methodology, such as spreading and sliding calipers, and have permitted the evaluation of numerous craniofacial measurements in various ethnic groups [11]. Craniofacial anthropometry is appropriate for population studies because of the accessibility of comparative and conventional databases [15]

Methods

Results

Conclusion