The Study of Cephalic Index of Andhra Region (India)

Objective: The cephalic index is the ratio of the maximum breadth of head to its maximum length. Cephalic index is very useful anthropologically to find out racial difference. It has also been reported that cephalic index is less than 2-3 in individual with sickle cell anemia than normal individual. Material & Methods: The present study was carried out with 320 (160 male & 160 female) medical students of Dr. Pinnamaneni Siddhartha Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Foundation and Dr. Sudha & Nageswara Institute of Dental Sciences Chinnaoutpally, Krishna District (AP), INDIA. Results: The mean cephalic index was 76.94±2.53. The mean cephalic index for male was 75.68±2.05 and for female was 78.20±2.33. The difference between male and female cephalic index was significant (p= 0.001 & difference 2.52). Conclusion: The result of present study shows that majority of male of Andhra region are dolicocephalic or mesocephalic and female are mesocephalic. Cephalic index of the female is 2-3 point higher than the male in Andhra region population. This study will serve as basis of comparison for future studies on Andhra region population. Key Words: Cephalic index; head length; head breadth; Andhra region of India DOI: 10.3126/ajms.v2i1.3385 Asian Journal of Medical Sciences 2 (2011) 53-55