In e na ional Jou nal o Cu en Science Resea ch and Re iew
ISSN: 2581-8341
Volume 08 Issue 10 Oc obe 2025
DOI: 10.47191/ijcs /V8-i10-04, Impac Fac o : 8.048
IJCSRR @ 2025
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4908 *Co esponding Au ho : Feb yan ie Lendu Volume 08 Issue 10 Oc obe 2025
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Di e ences in Mean Cephalic Index Based on Sex o Timo ese in Kupang
Ci y, NTT P o ince
Feb yan ie Lendu1, Regina Ma ina Hu asoi 2, Elisabe h Le ina Se ianing um3
1Facul y o Medicine and Ve e ina y Medicine, Uni e si as Nusa Cendana
2Depa men o Biomedic, Facul y o Medicine and Ve e ina y Medicine, Uni e si as Nusa Cendana
3Depa men o Diagnos ic Suppo , Facul y o Medicine and Ve e ina y Medicine, Uni e si as Nusa Cendana
ABSTRACT: The cephalic index is one o he cephalome ic indices ha de e mines he mo phological cha ac e is ics o he head.
The cephalic index is used in di e en medical ields, including in o ensic iden i ica ion. The cephalic index alue is measu ed
based on he head wid h and leng h. The cephalic index is a ec ed by sex, age, nu i ion, gene ics, en i onmen , ace and e hnici y.
Sex a ec s he cephalic index by ho mones and sexual dimo phism. The Timo ese is one o he ibes in Kupang Ci y whe e esea ch
on cephalic index had ne e been p e iously conduc ed.
KEYWORDS: Cephalic Index, Sexual Dimo phism, An h opome y, Timo ese E hnic, Kupang Ci y
INTRODUCTION
The human skull is an essen ial componen o he body, se ing a s uc u al ole and p o ec ing he i al o gans con ained wi hin i
(1). Nume ous ac o s con ibu e o a ia ions in c anial mo phology, one o which is sex. Sex-speci ic ac o s a e pa icula ly
in luenced by ho monal ac i i y, which plays an impo an ole in c anial g ow h be ween males and emales. Thy oid ho mone and
es os e one wo k syne gis ically wi h g ow h ho mone o s imula e c anial bone de elopmen , while es ogen ac s o inhibi he
ac i i y o g ow h ho mone (2,3). Cha ac e is ics o c anial a ia ion can be u he s udied h ough physical an h opome y,
speci ically cephalome y(4). Cephalome ic measu emen s emphasize he dimensions o he human head and ace in o de o
de e mine dis inc i e c anio acial mo phological cha ac e is ics (5,6).
The cephalic index is u ilized ac oss mul iple ields, including iden i ying di e ences based on e hnici y, ace, and sex; assis ing in
su gical planning; es ima ing e al age; de ec ing c anial de o mi ies; designing head- ela ed de ices; and desc ibing indi idual
appea ance (7–10). Based on cephalic index alues, head shapes can be classi ied in o ou ca ego ies: dolichocephalic,
mesocephalic, b achycephalic, and hype b achycephalic. The cephalic index is di ec ly ela ed o head mo phology and is in luenced
by gene ics, age, ace, e hnici y, nu i ion, en i onmen , disease, and sex (5,11).
Se e al s udies ha e in es iga ed cephalic index di e ences be ween males and emales. Fauzan e al. (2019), in hei s udy
“Di e ences in he Mean Cephalic Index and F on opa ie al Index be ween he Minangkabau and Ja anese E hnic G oups”, epo ed
signi ican di e ences be ween male Minangkabau (77.41) and emale Minangkabau (75.98) wi h P = 0.001, as well as be ween
male Ja anese (87.58) and emale Ja anese (86.10) wi h P = 0.002.(6) Akinbami (2014), in he s udy “Measu emen o Cephalic
Indices in Olde Child en and Adolescen s o a Nige ian Popula ion”, ound a signi ican di e ence be ween male Ogbia (77.21)
and emale Ogbia (76.5) wi h P = 0.04.(12) Simila ly, O is and Ibeachu (2016), in “C aniome ic Indices o Nige ian Skulls”,
epo ed ha he cephalic index was sligh ly highe in emales (76.12) han in males (76.03).(8) Ananda e al. (2021) epo ed ha
he cephalic index alue among he Eas Nusa Tengga a (NTT) e hnic g oup esiding in Denpasa was 81.50% (13).
The Timo ese a e one o he majo e hnic g oups inhabi ing Kupang Ci y, Indonesia. The c anial cha ac e is ics o he Timo ese
include a ela i ely na ow zygoma ic a ch and mandible, a high acial index, a longe acial leng h ela i e o acial wid h, and a
ela i ely b oad on al egion o he skull.(14,15) Conside ing he impo an ole o he cephalic index, he p e iously epo ed
a ia ions be ween males and emales, and he indings om NTT e hnic g oups in Bali, ye wi h no p io s udy speci ically
add essing sex-based cephalic index di e ences among he Timo ese in Kupang, i is necessa y o conduc esea ch in his
popula ion. Such esea ch may e eal whe he signi ican di e ences exis when samples a e d awn om indi iduals esiding wi hin
he same geog aphic a ea as hei e hnic o igin.
In e na ional Jou nal o Cu en Science Resea ch and Re iew
ISSN: 2581-8341
Volume 08 Issue 10 Oc obe 2025
DOI: 10.47191/ijcs /V8-i10-04, Impac Fac o : 8.048
IJCSRR @ 2025
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METHODS
This s udy employed a compa a i e analy ic design wi h a c oss-sec ional app oach, in which da a on he s udied a iables we e
collec ed a a single poin in ime wi hou empo al dimensions. The accessible popula ion consis ed o indi iduals o Timo ese
e hnici y esiding in Kupang Ci y, Eas Nusa Tengga a P o ince. A o al o 100 pa icipan s we e included, comp ising 50 males
and 50 emales. Resea ch ins umen s included a demog aphic da a shee and a sp eading calipe . The s udy was conduc ed in
Kupang Ci y, Eas Nusa Tengga a, om Augus o Sep embe 2022. Da a analysis was pe o med using he independen - es , wi h
a signi icance le el se a p < 0.05. This s udy ecei ed e hical app o al om he Heal h Resea ch E hics Commi ee, Facul y o
Medicine, Uni e si as Nusa Cendana, unde egis a ion numbe : UN01220760.
RESULTS
The o al numbe o esponden s in his s udy was 100, consis ing o 50 males and 50 emales (Figu e 1). Based on age dis ibu ion,
he e we e 28 esponden s in he la e adolescen g oup, 24 in he ea ly adul g oup, 24 in he la e adul g oup, and 24 in he ea ly
elde ly g oup (Figu e 2). Figu e 3 illus a es he dis ibu ion o esponden s by esiden ial a ea, wi h 24 esponden s om Kelapa
Lima Dis ic , 37 om Oebobo Dis ic , 12 om Maula a Dis ic , 12 om Ko a Raja Dis ic , and 15 om Alak Dis ic .
Table 1. Cephalic Index Based on Sex
Cephalic
Index
Sex
Mean
Male
84.00
Female
83,68
Table 1 shows he mean cephalic index acco ding o sex. Males had a mean cephalic index o 84.00, while emales had a mean o
83.68.
Table 2. Bi a ia e Analysis
Sex
Mean Cephalic Index
SD
p- alue
Male
84
±3.84
0,714
Female
83,68
±4.87
Signi icance le el p < 0,05
S a is ical analysis using he independen - es e ealed ha he di e ence in mean cephalic index be ween males and emales was
no s a is ically signi ican , wi h a wo-sided p- alue o 0.714.
DISCUSSION
This s udy, conduc ed among he Timo ese e hnic g oup in Kupang Ci y wi h a o al o 100 esponden s om i e dis ic s,
demons a ed ha he mean cephalic index o males was 84.00, while ha o emales was 83.68. Al hough he mean cephalic index
o males was sligh ly highe han ha o emales, bi a ia e analysis using he independen - es yielded a p- alue o 0.714 (Sig. >
0.05), indica ing ha he di e ence was no s a is ically signi ican .
The nonsigni ican di e ence in cephalic index ound in his s udy is consis en wi h he indings o Thomas and Rajan (2021) in
“Regional and Gende Di e ences in he Cephalic Index among Sou h Indian and No h-Eas Indian Popula ions.” Thei s udy
e ealed no signi ican sex-based di e ences in cephalic index among 75 males and 75 emales om bo h Sou h and No h-Eas
India. Such nonsigni ican di e ences may esul om he in e ac ion o o he in luencing ac o s, including gene ics, en i onmen ,
nu i ion, and age.(14) Sexual dimo phism is o en associa ed wi h di e ences in c anial mo phology be ween males and emales.
Fo ins ance, males gene ally ha e a la ge c anial capaci y han emales, emale on al bones end o be ounde and mo e
p ominen , he male glabella is less p onounced, and he male occipi al bone is mo e p ominen (6,15).
Ma amala e al. (2009), in “Sexual Dimo phism De e mina ion om he Linea Dimensions o Skulls”, epo ed ha linea c anial
dimensions we e g ea e in males han in emales (16,17). This inding aligns wi h he esul s in his s udy: he mean c anial leng h
In e na ional Jou nal o Cu en Science Resea ch and Re iew
ISSN: 2581-8341
Volume 08 Issue 10 Oc obe 2025
DOI: 10.47191/ijcs /V8-i10-04, Impac Fac o : 8.048
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among Timo ese males was 18.36 cm compa ed o 17.8 cm in emales, while he mean c anial b ead h was 15.41 cm in males
compa ed o 14.87 cm in emales. These la ge linea dimensions in males con ibu e o hei sligh ly highe cephalic index alues.
Ho monal ac o s also play an impo an ole, pa icula ly he in e ac ion be ween sex ho mones, g ow h ho mone, and hy oid
ho mones (12). In males, g ow h ho mone s imula es c anial bone de elopmen h ough os eoblas ac i i y, which is u he
enhanced by es os e one and hy oid ho mone. In emales, es ogen inhibi s g ow h ho mone ac i i y, which may explain he
gene ally smalle c anial dimensions compa ed o males (2).
Acco ding o O ish CN (2018) in “Cephalic Index in Sexual Dimo phism and Racial Di e si y: A Mini Re iew”, cephalic index
a ia ion is in luenced no only by sex bu also by complex in e ac ions wi h en i onmen al ac o s (8). Nu i ion also plays a
signi ican ole in c anial g ow h. P o ein, o example, is essen ial o b ain de elopmen ; p o ein de iciency may impai b ain and
c anial g ow h by limi ing os eogenesis and c anial expansion.(18) Fauzan (2019) epo ed signi ican sex-based di e ences in
cephalic index among he Ja anese e hnic g oup (male: 87.58, emale: 86.10, p = 0.002) and he Minangkabau e hnic g oup (male:
77.41, emale: 75.98, p = 0.001) (6). These indings may be a ibu able o he na owe age ange o pa icipan s (18–25 yea s)
compa ed o he b oade age ange (18–50 yea s) in he p esen s udy. Since age is one o he ac o s in luencing he cephalic index,
his di e ence in sampling could con ibu e o he con as ing esul s. Bo h age and nu i ional s a us join ly a ec cephalic index
h ough he p ocess o b achycephaliza ion.
Nu i ional imp o emen con ibu es o b achycephaliza ion, whe eby c anial b ead h inc eases wi h be e nu i ional s a us. As
c anial b ead h inc eases, he cephalic index ises acco dingly (19). C anial leng h eaches i s peak g ow h a a ound 14 yea s o
age, bu b achycephaliza ion con inues beyond his age (19,20). E hnici y and ace also play a ole. While ace and e hnici y a e
dis inc concep s, bo h classi y humans based on sha ed ea u es. Race is de ined p ima ily by physical cha ac e is ics, whe eas
e hnici y is shaped by cul u al ac o s such as language, his o y, geog aphic o igin, and adi ions. Mig a ion con ibu es o he
mixing o aces wi hin an e hnic g oup, leading o g ea e di e si y in c anial mo phology. Among he Timo ese in Kupang,
mig a ion may ha e in oduced gene ic di e si y ha a ec s cephalic index alues and head shape (21).
En i onmen al ac o s u he in luence c anial mo phology. Such ac o s include c anial auma, ood a ailabili y (which impac s
nu i ion and skull g ow h), and gene–en i onmen in e ac ions ha egula e gene ic exp ession and con ibu e o mo phological
adap a ion. Consequen ly, indi iduals li ing wi hin he same en i onmen o en exhibi simila c anial mo phologies (22,23). The
in e play o hese ac o s may explain he lack o signi ican di e ences in cephalic index be ween male and emale esponden s in
his s udy. Mo phological adap a ions o sha ed gene ic, en i onmen al, and nu i ional ac o s especially among indi iduals bo n
and aised wi hin he same geog aphic and cul u al con ex likely educe a iabili y be ween sexes. This easoning aligns wi h he
sample popula ion o his s udy, consis ing o Timo ese indi iduals bo n and aised in Kupang Ci y.
CONCLUSION
The e is no signi ican di e ence in he mean cephalic index be ween males and emales o he Timo ese e hnic g oup in Kupang
Ci y.
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In e na ional Jou nal o Cu en Science Resea ch and Re iew
ISSN: 2581-8341
Volume 08 Issue 10 Oc obe 2025
DOI: 10.47191/ijcs /V8-i10-04, Impac Fac o : 8.048
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DOI: h ps://doi.o g/10.47191/ijcs /V8-i10-04
