Acta Diabetol (2003) 40:S317S319 DOI 10.

1007/s00592-003-0097-8

Springer-Verlag 2003

E.C. Azinge M. Mabayoje L.C. Ward

Body proportions in three Nigerian tribes

Abstract Prediction equations of body composition based on measurements of whole-body bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) have been found to be population-specific. It was hypothesised that this may be, in part, due to differences in proportional limb lengths between ethnic or racial groups. As a preliminary to a survey of body composition in urban Nigerians using BIA, the relative limb lengths of the three major tribal groups (Hausa, Yoruba and Ibo) were determined. We found small (59%) but significantly longer limb lengths in Nigerians compared to a Caucasian population, but no significant differences between tribes. This implies that BIA prediction equations generated in a Caucasian population are inappropriate for use in a Nigerian population. Key words Limb lenghts Nigerians Body proportions Bioelectrical impedance analysis

Introduction Although Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, few studies of body composition have been conducted. The prevalence of overweight and obesity, and associated health risks, is largely unknown. The information available is based largely on measurements of body mass index (BMI, kg m-2) only, with recent data [1] suggesting that approximately 21% of the population have a BMI of more than 30 kg m-2. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a popular simple technique for the analysis of body composition. The low-cost, portability and ease-of-use of the equipment make it ideally suited for population surveys of body composition. Fat-free mass (FFM) is commonly predicted from the measured impedance of the whole body (wrist to ankle) using an empirically derived equation that relates the measured impedance to FFM, namely: FFM L2 / Z, where L is a measure of conductive length and Z is the measured impedance. Since L is unknown, stature is commonly used as a surrogate measure in deriving these empirical relationships. It has been observed that such equations tend to be specific for ethnic groups and a significant difference in the bivariate distribution of impedances between ethnic groups has been reported [2]. It is hypothesised that this is, in part, attributable to differences in proportional limb lengths between different racial or ethnic groups, since whole-body impedance is dominated by the impedances of the narrow cross-sectional limbs. As a preliminary to a survey of body composition in urban Nigerians using BIA, the relative limb lengths of the three major tribal groups (Hausa, Yoruba and Ibo) were determined.

L.C. Ward () Department of Biochemistry University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD-4072, Australia E-mail: l.ward@mailbox.uq.edu.au E.C. Azinge M. Mabayoje University of Lagos, Nigeria

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E.C. Azinge et al.: Body proportions in three Nigerian tribes

Methods
Subjects were a randomly selected cross-sectional cohort of 160 male and female Nigerians (18 65 years) from the greater Lagos metropolitan area. Tribal affiliation was by self-report. Height, weight, sitting height and limb lengths were measured using standardised procedures [3]. Weight was measured to the nearest 0.1 kg and lengths to 0.1 cm. Measurements were made by a single observer and reliability of measurement was better than 3%. Comparative data for a Caucasian population were from United Kingdom national survey data [4]. Data are presented as meansstandard deviations. Differences between groups were assessed statistically by analysis of variance and Scheffe multiple comparisons post hoc. Table 1 Subject characteristics Characteristic Hausa Male:female Mean ageSD, years 14:20 35.920.3 (m) 43.313.7 (f)

Results The general characteristics of the subjects are presented in Table 1. There were no significant differences in height between the three tribes for either males or females, but Nigerian females were generally taller than their Caucasian counterparts, whereas males were slightly shorter (Fig. 1a). There were no significant differences in either upper or lower limb lengths between the tribes for either males or females, but in all cases these were proportionally and significantly (p<0.01) longer than those of the Caucasian population (Fig. 1b, c). Correspondingly, sitting height, an index of trunk length, was proportionally shorter but significantly so (p<0.01) only for Hausa when compared with Caucasian subjects (Fig. 1d).

Tribe Ibo 55:46 34.511.5 (m) 34.011.2 (f) Yoruba 18:7 34.012.9 (m) 33.17.6 (f) Caucasian 4.550:4.977 Range 1965 years; approx. 450 subjects per 5-year period 75.011.5 (m) 63.011.0 (f)

Mean weightSD, kg

63.17.7 (m) 63.013.0 (f)

69.612.8 (m) 65.615.4 (f)

66.010.6 (m) 64.914.8 (f)

SD, standard deviation; m, male; f, female a b

Fig. 1a-d Heights, sitting heights and limb lengths of three Nigerian tribes and comparative data for a Caucasian population. a Stature. b Leg length (% height). c Arm length (% height). d Sitting height (% height)

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Discussion Whole-body impedance of Nigerians has been found to be significantly higher than that of matched Caucasian subjects [2]. This is despite differences in stature as reported here (Fig. 1a). Since whole-body impedance is dominated by the impedance of the limbs, the present data support the view that this is due to the proportionally longer limbs of Nigerians (Fig. 1b, c). These observations imply a need for BIA prediction equations specific for the Nigerian population. The absence of significant differences in limb lengths between tribes, however, suggests that such a BIA algorithm would be applicable to all Nigerians, irrespective of tribal origin.

References
1. Peupet FH, Zoakah AI (2001) Prevalence of overweight and obesity among urban Nigerian adults in Jos. Highland Med Res J 1:1316 2. Ward LC, Heitmann BL, Craig P, Stroud D, Azinge EC, Jebb S, Cornish BH, Swinburn B, ODea K, Rowley K, McDermott R, Thoms BJ, Leonard D (2000) Association between ethnicity, body mass index and bioelectrical impedance. Implications for the population specificity of prediction equations. Ann NY Acad Sci 904:199201 3. Norton K, Olds T (1996) Anthropometrica. UNSW Press, Sydney, Australia 4. Pheasant (1990) Body space anthropometry, ergonomics and the design of work. Taylor and Francis, London, UK