The anthropometric indices of physical development in medical students at the University of Lagos, Nigeria

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Limited data is available about the anthropometric indices of physical development of medical students of the University of Lagos Nigeria. This study aims to generate anthropometric data on selected body circumference variables of physical development among medical students in Urban Lagos. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Simple Random Sampling was deployed to select 157 undergraduate volunteers aged 16-26 years from Medical and Dental students of the College of Medicine the University of Lagos. Anthropometric measurements of weight (kg), height (cm), chest circumference (cm), mid-upper arm and arm flexed circumference (cm), waist circumference (cm) and hip circumference (cm) were taken in accordance with the recommendation of International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK). Body composition indices such as body mass index (BMI) and height-weight ratio (HWR) were calculated. The data obtained was collated and analysed for Descriptive Statistics (Mean and Standard Deviation). RESULTS: Results show that female medical students were taller and has accumulated more weight than their male counterpart. Both males and females had a slightly closer BMI. There is a slightly higher HWR for males than females. The Mid-Upper Arm circumference was higher in males than in females. The waist circumference revealed a higher girth in male medical students than female medical students. CONCLUSION: This is consistent with the fact that the females have an earlier adolescent rapid growth spurt than males. This study has generated a database on some specific anthropometric indices of growth and physical development in male and female medical students in urban Lagos, and the results indicated that there were differences in the pattern of variation depending on the specific dimensions and indices being evaluated.