Patterns of Nasal Anthropometry in relation to Dominant Somatotypes among Hausa Adolescents of Kano State, Northwestern Nigeria

Craniofacial anthropometry has important applications in forensic science, clinical practice, and biological profiling. Nasal morphology varies across populations and is influenced by genetic, environmental, and developmental factors. Somatotype is also an important tool for describing body composition and structural variation. Although numerous studies have investigated nasal anthropometry and somatotypes independently, there is limited data on the relationship between nasal anthropometry and somatotypes among adolescents. The study aimed to determine the relationship between nasal anthropometry and somatotypes among Hausa adolescents in Kano State. The study was conducted among adolescents selected from schools within the Kano metropolis using a random sampling. A total of 392 male and female participants were recruited. Sex differences in somatotypes and nasal variables were assessed using the Mann–Whitney U test. Spearman’s correlation analysis was applied to determine associations between somatotypes and nasal anthropometry, while linear regression was used to predict somatotypes from nasal parameters. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. We observed significant sexual dimorphism in somatotypes, where females and males recorded higher values in endomorph and mesomorph, respectively. Significant sexual dimorphism was also observed in nasal breadth and nasal index, where males exhibited higher values. Furthermore, nasal anthropometry demonstrated significant predictive capacity for somatotypes, with nasal breadth emerging as the strongest predictor. Nasal anthropometric parameters and dominant somatotypes exhibited significant sexual dimorphism; nasal parameters demonstrated a meaningful association with dominant somatotypes. Furthermore, nasal anthropometry showed predictive potential for dominant somatotypes with nasal breadth as the most reliable predictor among Hausa adolescents in Kano State, Nigeria.

Key Words: Adolescents, lineage, somatotype, physique, regression