Geographical Variation in Lip Print Patterns Among Adolescents from the High Andean Quechua and Suni Regions in Perú

The aim of this study was to determine the lip print patterns among adolescents from the Quechua and Suni ecological regions of Ancash, Peru, and to explore the relationship between the variables and their differentiation using logistic regression models.

A quantitative, observational, prospective, cross-sectional, and analytical study was conducted. The sample comprised 192 adolescents from representative educational institutions, who requested the informed consent of their relatives. Personal and anthropometric data were recorded, and lip prints were obtained according to the conventional system of lipstick and adhesive tape using the classifications by Suzuki &Tsuchihashi and Renaud.

The population was predominantly male (55.2%) and more represented from the Quechua population (61.5%). Regarding their nutritional status, it was found that more than half were in average nutritional status (53.6%), although a significant proportion was overweight (41.8%). Regarding the Suzuki patterns, there was a predominance of types II (52.1-55.8%) and IV (50.5%), while the Renaud patterns presented a predominance of types G (49% in the upper left quadrant) and E (36.4-38.1%) in the lower quadrants. In the multivariate analysis, it could be identified that the only factor significantly associated with the Suzuki pattern was the geographical region. Adolescents from the Suni region presented this pattern more frequently than those of the Quechua population (60% lower odds, compared with Quechua adolescents: OR = 0.40; 95% CI: 0.22-0.73; p = 0.003). Sex, age, weight and height had no significant associations.

The results indicate that lip print patterns have a characteristic dominant pattern in high Andean adolescents, with a significant influence of the geographic region on the morphology of the lips. The results underscore the significance of lip prints as a biometric method and offer proof of the morphological diversity of the Andean populations.