[01] Oghenemavwe Loveday Ese, Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Nigeria. [02] Asuai Nneka, Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

The measurement and relation of body proportion is an important guide in clothing fashion industry. There is an assumption in clothing fashion that the circumference of a person’s waist is about twice the circumference of the neck. Whether this is true or not is still a subject of debate. Thus the aim of the study is to determine the relationship between the circumference of the neck and circumference of the waist as it relates to clothing fashion industry. A total of 915 (589 males and 326 females) non obese subjects between 18-70 years volunteered for the study. Obese and pregnant subjects as well as subjects with known pathologic conditions that affect body morphology were excluded from the study. The neck and waist circumferences of participants were taken at the upper neck circumference (UNC), middle neck circumference (MNC), lower neck circumference (LNC) and upper waist circumference (UWC), middle waist circumference (MWC) and lower waist circumference (LWC) respectively. In addition, the weight and height of subjects were taken to determine their body mass index (BMI). The data obtained were analysed using Microsoft excel statistical tool version 2010. Pearson’s correlation and Coefficient of determination analysis for all correlated aspects of the waist and neck region are as follows; UNC versus UWC (r=0.70, r²=0.49, p<0.05), MNC versus MWC ((r=0.48, r²=0.23, p<0.05), LNC versus LWC (r=0.24, r²=0.0.06, p<0.05), UNC versus MWC (r=0.46, r²=0.23, p<0.05), UNC versus LWC (r=0.24, r²=0.06, p<0.05), MNC versus UWC (r=0.69, r²=0.48, p<0.05), MNC versus LWC (r=0.23, r²=0.05, p<0.05), LNC versus UWC (r=0.67, r²=0.44, p<0.05), LNC versus MWC (r=0.48, r²=0.21, p<0.05). The ratio factor of waist circumference to neck circumference was above 2.00 for all measured parameters. Regression analysis showed that various segments of the neck circumference could be derived from the waist circumference and vice-versa. The upper neck circumference and upper waist circumference showed a stronger and more significant positive correlation and the highest coefficient of determination. The implication is that determining the waist line from the neck line at this point will result in a more fitted cloth. The study showed that while the neck circumference (NC) can be used to estimate the waist circumference (WC), it is not exactly equal to half the circumference of the waist. In addition, the neck circumference can be used to predict the waist circumference better in males.

Waist, Neck, Fashion, Anthropometry, Clothing

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