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Validity and consistency is key for reliable testing. How are you measuring height?
Height is a critical measure that forms part of the algorithm for applications, calculations for health scores and measures plus the true tracking of young peoples development so it is really essential to perform the protocol correctly.
Common mistakes include:
- Subject having shoes on
- Stadiometer mounted at the wrong initial height
- Subject slouching or leaning forward
- Subject looking up
- Subject rising on toes
- Assessor not using equipment properly
- Digital stadiometers not considering hair density or headwear for unreliable results
- Assessor relying on the subjects opinion of their height rather than measuring them
The impact of the above mistakes can cause deviation of up to +/- 5cm. Consider this in a basic BMI score where the subject is a 30-year-old female weighing 65kg, the scores would vary as follows causing two different categorisations of the subject and likely two different intervention plans.
- 165cm – BMI Score 23.9 – Category “Normal”
- 160cm – BMI Score 25.4 – Category “Overwieght”
This is exaggerated more when assessing deeper body composition and growth tracking, for example.
The formal GPTQA protocol for measuring height considers:
Purpose – To test: Standing height of individual
Procedure –
- The individual will remove shoes from feet.
- The individual will stand with heels, buttocks and upper back touching the measuring device with feet together, back straight and head in neutral position.
- The individual will take and hold a deep breath while keeping the head in neutral position.
- The recorder should gently lower the headboard so that it firmly touches the vertex of the head and compresses the hair as much as possible.
- The recorder should watch to ensure the heels do not leave the floor and head position is maintained.
- Measurement is taken before the individual exhales.
- The result is recorded manually provided in centimetres (cm).
Data Analysis – Total height is recorded to the nearest whole centimetre (cm)
