Several studies have shown the importance of anthropometric measurements as a veritable tool in forensic science, crime detection, as well as a means of studying variations in human populations. The present study focused on using digit lengths and ratio to determine sports skills. A total of 270 female subjects comprising of sports and non-sports participants were measured. Seventy of which were non-footballer athletes, 100 were footballer athletes, and 100 were nonsports participants. The second and fourth digits of their right and left hands were measured using a digital vernier caliper. The data obtained from the participants were analyzed by SPSS. Subjects who participated in football also possessed athletic skills, hence both have similar traits. This study has shown that athletic and football skills are similar, as the values obtained from the above parameters were not significant at p<0.05. The results showed that digit ratio is not a good tool for determining sport skills, as compared to digit lengths (2D and 4D). No difference was observed between the digit ratio of the sports participants and those of non-sports participants. Digit lengths (2D and 4D) were found to be significant determinants of sports, with sports groups showing significantly shorter digits. Therefore, the findings of this study suggest an association between digit lengths and sporting abilities.KEY WORDS: Football; Female footballer athletes; Female non-footballer athletes; Second to fourth digit ratio and Nigeria.
This cross-sectional study involved one thousand school children aged 7 to 18 years in Port- Harcourt, Rivers State. Anthropometric variables including; height, weight, girths, bone breadths and skinfold thickness were measured and blood pressure recorded. The Heath-Carter somatotype and body size expressed in kg/m2 were obtained. Data was analysed using SPSS version 21 and XLSTAT statistical software. Results indicated the mean ages as; 12.2±2.52, 12.6±2.58, 12.4±2.56 in males, females and the entire sample respectively. Mean BMI were; 18.24±3.24, 17.64±3.12 and 18.73±3.26 for the entire sample, males and females respectively. Females were significantly taller and heavier, with significantly higher BMI than males (p<0.05).Males had relatively higher values than females for somatotype variables, except for endomorphy whereas female showed a significantly higher values in all skinfold thicknesses than males (p<0.05). The mean somatotype were; 1.7-4.1-3.5, 2.8-3.9-3.1 for males and females respectively, indicating that males lie within the ectomorphic-mesomorph while females were in the balanced mesomorphy categories. This study might represent the first documented report on the somatotype distribution for children and adolescent in the south-south region of Nigeria with particular reference to children and adolescents in Port-Hacourt.
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