Comparison of Nasal Anthropometric Measurements of Turks Living in Different Geographical Regions

Abstract

Aim: Determining the anthropometric characteristics of the nose, which is located in the center of the face, plays an important role not only in surgical procedures but also in identifying ethnic differences. This study aimed to examine the nasal similarities and differences between Kazakhs and Turks who have lived in different regions for more than a thousand years. Material and Methods: The study included 200 Turkish students and 200 Kazakh students. For each student, sixteen distance measurements and five angle measurements of the nose were taken. The photographs were taken using a digital camera mounted on a tripod, with a distance of 1.50 meters between the photographer and the student participating in the study. Digital photographs of the front, left side, and base of the nose were taken in the Frankfurt Horizontal Plan, which is the standard head position. The photographs were transferred to the DIGIMIZER software, where measurements were made using anthropometric points previously determined. Results: The findings reveal that among both societies, nasal measurements tend to be greater for males compared to females. Conversely, females exhibit higher nasofrontal (p=0.001) and nasolabial (p=0.001) angles compared to males. Moreover, Turks generally exhibit greater nasal length (p=0.001), width (p=0.001), and height (p=0.037) than Kazakhs, whereas tend to have lower nasofrontal (p=0.001) and nasolabial (p=0.001) angles than Kazakhs. Conclusion: Nasal anthropometric measurements for males were generally higher than for females. In addition, all measurements differed between Turks and Kazakhs. The results of this study will be useful for future anthropometric studies.