Anthropometric measurements of the Nilotic tribes in a refugee camp

The heights and weights of 2,233 randomly selected adult Nilotic immigrants from Southern Sudan (50.8% Dinkas, 43.8% Nuers, 3.4% Anuaks and 2.0% Shilluks) that have settled in Itang, Southwestern Ethiopia were measured. The mean height, weight and body mass index [BMI = weight(kg)/the square of height(m2)] of men (N = 1,1618) were 175.9 + 9 cm) (+/- SD), 59.7 +/- 8 kg, and 19.4 +/- 2, respectively, and those of women (N = 615) were 169.0 +/- 7 cm, 54.0 +/- 8 kg, and 19.1 +/- 3, respectively. The mean height of Dinka men (176.4 +/- 9 cm) and Nuer men (175.7 +/- 9 cm) were significantly higher than that of Anuak men (171.7 +/- 8 cm) and Shilluk men (172.6 +/- 6.1 cm). The Nuer women's mean height, weight and BMI were significantly lower than those of the other tribes'. This study confirms that the Nilotics in Southern Sudan have slender bodies and are amongst the tallest in the world, and may attain greater height if priviledged with favourable environmental conditions during early childhood and adolescence, allowing full expression of the genetic material.