Correlational study of hand and auricular dimensions in an adult Igbo population in Imo State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study was carried out to correlate the external ear dimensions and hand dimensions and to establish predictive regression formulae within an adult Igbo population in Imo State, Nigeria. 100 male and 100 female subjects between the ages of 18 and 65 years were randomly selected. A digital vernier caliper was used to take measurement of the ear length (EL), ear width (EW), lobular length (LL), and the lobular width (LW) using standard procedures, while a metre rule was used to take measurement of the hand length (HL) and hand width (HW) of both male and female subjects. Data obtained was analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The mean values obtained for males for right (R) and left (L) sides were as follows: EL (R – 59.78 mm, L – 59.15 mm), EW (R – 32.48 mm, L – 32.32 mm), LL (R – 16.98 mm, L – 16.51 mm, LW (R – 16.11 mm, L – 16.47 mm, HL (R – 19.50 cm, L – 19.15 cm, HW (R – 9.83 cm, L – 9.21 cm. The mean values obtained for the females was EL (R – 56.18 mm, L – 55.69 mm, EW (R – 30.74 mm, L – 31.05 mm, LL (R – 17.25 mm, L – 17.09 mm, LW (R – 16.03 mm, L – 17.09 mm, HL (R – 21.90 cm, L – 18.11 cm, HW (R – 8.08 cm, L – 7.93 cm). Significant gender differences(P<0.05) were observed in the right ear length, right ear width, left ear length, left ear width and left lobular index with males showing higher values in all, while the females showed higher values in the right lobular length, right ear index, left lobular width and the left ear index. Significant differences (P< 0.05) were observed in the right-hand length, right hand width, left hand length and left-hand width with males showing higher values. Pearson correlation analyses between hand and ear measurements for both sexes showed that for both ears in males, hand length and ear length significantly correlated. However, in females, hand width significantly correlated with both ear width and lobular width for both ears and these correlations were statistically significant at p< 0.05. Linear regression equations were derived to estimate hand dimensions using ear measurements in both male and female subjects or indigenes of Imo state.