Cephalic Index of The Igbos, Nigeria

Abstract

Cephalic Index (CI) is an important tool for the classification of human beings.
Objectives: This study examines the CI of the Igbos schooling at Federal University of Technology Owerri in order to establish the head pattern.
Materials and methods: A total of 202 subjects participated in the study (males n=114, females n=84) after obtaining informed consent. Measurement of the maximum head breadth (MHB) and maximum head lengths (MHL) of the subjects were taken. The data were analyzed using SPSS 17.0.
Results: The mean CI of the Igbos (both gender put together) was 71.57±14.81 while that of the males and females were 68.80±12.33 and 73.60±16.15 respectively. The most prominent CI was Dolichocephalic ‘head length longer than width’, males (76.2%) and females (59.6%). Mesocephalic ‘head is round’ and Brachycephalic ‘head wider than length’ were more common in the females than males. Sexual dimorphism was established at p<0.02 with females having higher values.
Conclusion: The documented head pattern or shape would be useful to Forensic Anthropologist and Craniofacial surgeons.