Some anthropometric attributes of a rural community in Nigeria.

Some attributes of anthropometric indices of the Kainji Lake population are presented. All adults except pregnant women were measured for height, weight and mid-upper arm circumference. The height of the males was generally found to be significantly higher (P less than 0.05) than the females. No significant differences were obtained between the sexes for weight and mid-upper arm circumference in the total population. Differences in nutrient intake of the sexes and the predominant ethnic groups were ascribed to be responsible for the sex differences and the variability in the standard deviation of the means in different age groups. The Kainji Lake values were found to be generally lower than the Lagos values but compared well with the reference values.