Correlation of fingerprint ridge density and body mass index among Nigerians

Background: The texture formed by interleaved ridges and valleys on the top of human fingertip is referred to as fingerprint, which is well known to be relevant in diagnosis of some genetic disorders. Body Mass Index (BMI) is a widely utilised metric for identifying and assessing obesity within populations. Aim and Objectives: The study aimed to determine the correlation of fingerprint ridge density with BMI among Hausa population of selected tertiary institutions in Kano metropolis, Nigeria. Material and Methods: A total number of 401 students (216 males and 185 females) took part in the study. The BMI was calculated as weight (kg2) divided by square of height (m2). Using live scanner the fingerprints of the ten digits were captured. For each digit, 25mm was defined in ulnar and radial side for determination of fingerprint ridge density. Pearson correlation test was used to correlate between the ridge density and BMI. Results: A significant correlation between the ulnar ridge densities with BMI of the little finger on both hands was observed. Based on sex, a significant correlation of ulnar left little and radial left little fingers with BMI was observed only in female participants with no such correlation in male counterparts. Among females, there was a significant correlation between fingerprint ridge density and BMI. The finding of this study revealed that fingerprint ridge density may be used as a marker of an individual's BMI.