Facial Anthropometry Study Using Stereophotogrammetry Analysis Among Mozambique Adults

Area of Science:

• Anthropometry
• Facial Morphology
• Population Studies

Background:

• Establishing population-specific facial anthropometric data is crucial for various applications.
• Existing facial metric data often lacks representation from diverse African populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine facial linear and angular measurement norms for Mozambique adults.
• To investigate morphologic differences in facial structure between sexes and age groups.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional observational study involving 166 Mozambique adults (20-65 years).
• Stereophotogrammetry used to capture 3D facial images after marking anthropometric points.
• Statistical analysis (Two-way ANOVA, Tukey's test) to compare measurements across age and sex groups.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in 13/15 linear and 4/6 angular measurements were found between sexes and age groups.
• Men exhibited significantly higher linear measurements; women showed higher angular measurements.
• Aging led to decreased eye width/lip height, increased mouth width, augmented nose measurements, and a widened nasolabial angle, with sex-specific variations.

Conclusions:

• Sexual dimorphism in facial morphology is evident in Mozambique adults, with distinct patterns in linear and angular measurements.
• Facial structure changes with age, differing between sexes.
• Findings contribute to a population database for enhanced prosthetic applications, forensic training, and anthropological research.