Ear Morphology Variations and Anthropometric Correlations among Young Adults in Delta State, Nigeria

Abstract

Objective: The general objective of this study was to assess the morphological features of the ear among young adults of Delta State, Nigeria. Method: This study adopted the descriptive cross–sectional study design and consisted of 384 subjects comprising of both males and females within the ages of 17 and 34 years. The sampling technique employed was the simple random sampling techniques and data was collected with the aid of a data collection sheet. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Research and Ethics Committee of Human Anatomy Department, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Delta, Agbor, Delta State, Nigeria. Data obtained was subjected to Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS, version 22). Results were set out according to verify gender differences in all the morphological features of the ear of the study subjects. The independent sample t-test was helpful in this regard. Chi-square test was used to test for significant differences at a confidence level of 95% (P<0.05). Results: The results from this study showed that the most common ear shape of the study subjects was oval (35.2%) on the right side while it was round (34.9%) on the left side. It was observed that the relationship between the right and left morphological features of the ear showed a strong positive correlation between the right and left ear shape of the study subjects. Conclusion: Every part of the human ear is unique and it varies consequently from the left to right sides, among gender and also within various ethnic groups and this variation makes it useful in human recognition and identification.