ANTHROPOMETRIC SURVEY OF NIGERIAN FARM WORKERS

Abstract

Anthropometric data of agricultural farm workers of Ebonyi State (central senatorial zone) of Nigeria was surveyed. The study was carried out to develop data bank for agricultural machinery design. Twenty-two dimensions were measured on 250 male and 200 female subjects with age ranges of 22-60 years old. The mean values and standard deviations of stature and weight of the male subjects were found to be 149.1(±13.3) cm and 60.4 (± 14.3) kg; whereas female mean stature and weight were 158.1(±11.3) cm and 58.8 (± 15.7) kg respectively. A T-test comparison between male and female body dimensions of agricultural farm workers of the zone shows that knee height was statistically significant (p< 0.05), those of male were larger. The comparison of dimensions of male and female agricultural farm workers of the zone with South eastern Nigerian agricultural farm workers, South western Nigerian passengers in buses and other ethnic populations of the world indicate that various body dimensions do not vary considerably within same geopolitical zone in Nigeria ; but differ greatly across different geopolitical zones and other ethnic populations