Anthropometric measures

Anthropometric measure of body mass that is calculated by dividing a person s weight in kilograms by the square of their height in metres. 

A study was conducted on 21 children, aged 18 to 36 months, to examine the potential relationship between the amounts of lead ingested in food and anthropometric measurements (height, weight, head circumference, and mid-upper arm circumference) (Stanek et al. 1998). The children resided in homes... 

Nutrition assessment is the first step in developing a nutrition care plan and includes a clinical evaluation, anthropometric measurements, and biochemical and immune function studies. 

Anthropometric measurements are gross measurements of body cell mass used to evaluate LBM and fat stores. The most common measurements are weight, height, limb size (e.g., skinfold thickness and midarm muscle, wrist, and waist circumferences), and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). 

Anthropometric measures are probably most useful with long-term nutrition support. 

The tools for nutritional assessment include medical history and screening aides, physical examination and anthropometric measurements, biochemical assessment, and tests of immune function. A general health assessment and medical history are required to rule out causes of secondary malnutrition such as poor oral health, chronic illness, disease, and medication. Malnutrition is influenced by lifestyle, which includes alcohol usage in adults, food preference, eating habits, social interactions, and economic status. Various screening tools, such as the DETERMINE checklist (White et al., 1991), are available to assess the risk of malnutrition. 

While low serum cholesterol levels have been observed in malnourished patients, largely as a result of decreased synthesis of lipoproteins in the liver, hypocholesterolemia occurs later in the course of malnutrition and is therefore not useful as a screening test. PEM usually results in low serum urea nitrogen (BUN), urinary urea, and total nitrogen. Estimation of 24-h urine creatinine excretion is also a valuable biochemical index of muscle mass (when there is no impairment in renal function). The urinary CHI is correlated to lean body mass and anthropometric measurements. In edematous patients, for whom the extracellular fluids contribute to body weight and spuriously high body mass index values, the decreased CHI values are especially useful in diagnosing malnutrition. 

B4. Benbassat, C. A., Maki, K. C., and Unterman, T. G., Circulating levels of insulin-like growth factor (IGF) binding protein-1 and -3 in aging men Relationships to insulin, glucose, IGF, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels and anthropometric measures. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 82, 1484-1491 (1997). 

Gregory A, Doull I, Pearce N, et al The relationship between anthropometric measurements at birth asthma and atopy in childhood. Clin Exp Allergy 1999 29 330-333. 

Appropriate anthropometric measurements are essential in a complete nutrition assessment and should be evaluated based on published standards. 

Individual anthropometric measurements should be interpreted cautiously because standards do not account for individual variations in bone size, large muscle mass, hydration status, or skin compressibil-... 

Developmental Effects. This section summarizes effects of PCBs on anthropometric measures at birth as well as physical growth during infancy. Effects of perinatal exposure to PCBs on other end points in the offspring, such as the thyroid gland and thyroid hormone status, end points known to be very important for structural and functional aspects of normal development of the brain and sexual organs, are discussed in the Endocrine Effects and Reproductive Effects sections, respectively. Neurodevelopmental effects of PCBs are summarized in the Neurological Effects section. 

Studies of the children of environmentally-exposed women have produced mixed results. While some studies have shown significant, negative associations between anthropometric measures at birth (and at early ages) and exposure to PCBs, other studies have reported either significant positive associations or no associations at all. The wide range of results may reflect the different degree of controlling for... 

Simple anthropometric measurements will include height, weight, arm circumference and skin-fold thickne.ss. 

Anthropometric Measurements. Anthropometry uses measurements of body parameters to monitor normal growth and nutritional health in well-nourished individuals and to detect nutritional inadequacies or excesses. In adults, the measurements most commonly used are height, weight,... 

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