Anthropometric Assessments

Question 1

Height Measurements and Protocol

Answer 1

cm, feet and inches
Measuring tape against a wall or height measuring tool.
-no shoes
-make to nearest 0.5cm

Question 2

Weight Measurements and Protocol

Answer 2

lbs, kgs
Scale on hard surface
-no shoes and light clothing
-take to nearest 0.1kg
Electronic scales should be on a flat, hard surface.
Weight fluctuates by 3-5lbs per day depending on the person.
Important to keep an eye for cardiac patients.
-big jump/increase in weight over a short period could indicate retention of water and that something is wrong.

Question 3

Body Mass Index (BMI)

Answer 3

weight in kg/height in m2
Indirect measurement of body fat mass.
-but does not distinguish fat mass and fat-free mass or distribution of fat mass.
Can be a good educational tool for some clients.

Question 4

Waist Circumference

Answer 4

Measure of visceral fat mass
-increased visceral fat (and thus WC values) leads to higher risks of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, and metabolic syndrome.
Normally used with BMI to determine risk factors for conditions.
Different variations with country or ethnicity.

Question 5

WC Protocol

Answer 5

Clear abdomen of clothing.
Client to stand feet shoulder width apart and arms across chest in a relaxed manner.
Take a fabric tape measure and measure at superior edge of iliac crest (palpate hip bone to find this).
Ask client to take a deep breath in and out, measure to closest 0.5cm on exhale.

Question 6

Normal Measurements for WC

Answer 6

Caucasian women = <80cm
Caucasian men = <90cm
Measurements for other populations will be different
Various risk factors associated with circumference (ie. on slides).
If have normal BMI, but higher waist circumference then it is still manageable.
-if both are high, then have higher risk factors.
No categorization based on age, only gender.

Question 7

Skinfold Measures

Answer 7

Estimate of body subcutaneous fat mass using skinfold calipers.
-utilizes equations to estimate subcutaneous fat mass.

Question 8

Limitations of Skinfold Measures

Answer 8

Sensitivity of clients to have skinfolds taken.
Substantial intra- and inter-observer variability in measurements.
More error in high adiposity levels (not recommended for > or equal to 30 BMI).
High level of training needed to correctly administer.

Question 9

Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA)

Answer 9

Estimate of body fat percentage.
Machine passes a low-level of electrical current through body and measures the impedance/resistance to flow of electricity.
-high amount of water in body the less resistance; high amount of fat in the body, the more resistance.
-determines fat free mass and then subtracts this from the scale weight to estimate fat mass (and fat mass %).

Question 10

Limitations of BIA

Answer 10

Equation errors
Hydration level (high hydration = false reading).
Estimation

Question 11

Limb Circumference

Answer 11

Can be useful to track fat mass changes per limb.
Can be more helpful to track muscle mass/fat-free mass changes over time.
Locations include upper arms, proximal forearm, mid-thigh, and mid-calf.
-or where this is obvious atrophy that is of concern.

Question 12

Limitations of Limb Circumference

Answer 12

Not valid to estimate fat mass or fat-free mass.
Inter- and intra-observer reliability.
-put in chart notes how you did the first time so that you can replicate it as much as possible.

Question 13

DEXA

Answer 13

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan.
Low dose x-ray that measures bone density and composition (fat mass and fat-free mass).
Gold-standard for body composition tests (more accurate).
Used mostly to determine osteopenia/osteoporosis.
-determined through T score
->-1 = normal
–1 to -2.5 = osteopenia
–2.5 and lower = osteoporosis