Lecture 8 - Measurement of Physical Dimensions Flashcards
- represents the sum of the four chemical compartments of the body
Weight
four chemical compartments of the body
- muscle protein
- fat
- water
- bone mineral mass
weight gain indicate?
obesity or edema
severe weight loss manifestation of?
a serious disease
poor measure of energy nitrogen reserves in disease conditions in which edema, ascites, dehydration, diuresis or in obese patients undergoing rapid weight loss
Weight
Instrument for weight measurement
- spring scales
- like a pony tail - lumuluwag over time or loosens over time
- beam balance
- better to use; produce more accurate results than spring scales
- for weighing infants - unable to stand
- use hanging scale or pediatric scale
- hanging scale - used in public health setting; PH - sotter’s scale used in the annual weighing of children aged 0-5 yrs (Operation Timbang) - results used as a basis for proposing or leverage from others in terms of funds (OT or OTPlus - height and weight)
- pediatric scales - clinic and hospitals
- for weighing older children and adults
- bathroom scale - less preferred and for personal use; convenient to use for participants not confined in one space so data collectors can move from one house to the next
- balance beam scale - clinics, health centers, and hospitals where it can be placed strategically in a permanent location
- for weighing of non-ambulatory patients
- bed scale - big hospitals or private clinics
- chair scale - no bed scale or chair scale, body weight can be computed from knee height, cap circumference, midarm circum and subscapular skinfold thickness - more tedious
no bed scale or chair scale, body weight can be computed from?
knee height, cap circumference, midarm circum and subscapular skinfold thickness
Estimating body weight in patients with amputations (Formula)
(recite the formula for adjusted weight and table)
Determinants of severity of weight loss/gain
- rate weight change over time
- total reduction/ increase in weight
Interpretation of weight changes
(recite the table)
Considerations in measuring weight (4)
- diurnal variations
- fluctuations throughout the day
- deduct 1 kg in children; 2 kg in adults
- fluctuations throughout the day
- menstrual cycle
- bc of tissue hydration - higher weight than usual
- clothing
- type and number of clothes can affect weight measured
- instrument used
- balance beam scales more accurate than spring scales
Common weight measurement errors
- room cold, no privacy
- participants may become uncomfortable and restless
- lab gown - ideal
- scale not calibrated to zero
- calibration done at the manufacture level like a factory reset; use standard weights for calibration as nutritionists
- participant wearing heavy clothing
- participant moving or anxious as a result of prior incident
- Linear measurement of a human body, from the bottom of the feet to the top of the head in a standing position
Height
- Applicable for adults and children over two years of age who are cooperative and able to stand without assistance
Height
- Measure from the crown of the head to the bottom of the feet with the participant lying horizontally in a supine position
Length
- Generally reserved for children aged <24 months or for children aged 24-36 months who cannot stand without assistance
Length
use to estimate basal energy expenditure and nutrients needs; used as a index of chronic nut. status in children.adults
Height and length
Instrument for height measurement (5)
- microtoise
- stadiometer
- height board
- tape measure attached to a wall
- height rod in beam balance scales
Common length or height measurement errors (5)
- incorrect method for age - length and height used vice versa
- footwear or headwear not removed
- head not in the correct plane
- child not straight along the board and/or feet not parallel with movable board
- board not firmly against the heels/ head
Proxy indicators of height
- knee height
- arm span
- Highly correlated with stature
Knee height
- Can be used to estimate stature in persons with severe spinal curvature or who are unable to stand
Knee height
- May also be used with mid-arm circumference to predict weight in individuals who cannot be weighed by conventional methods
Knee height
Instrument for knee height measurement
- knee height caliper
- not commonly found in hospitals and clinics
physical measurement of an individuals arm span from the fingertips; shoulder level; parallel to the ground; 90-degree angle
Arm span
Instrument for arm span
- tape measure (steel/regular)
- also for the bedridden
- Important screening procedure to detect abnormalities of the head and brain growth, especially in the 1st year of life
Head Circumference
- Can be used as an index of protein-energy status during the first 3 years of life
Head Circumference
- Should be measured routinely on infants and young children up to 3 years
Head circumference
Instrument for head circum. measurement
- tape measure
- insertion tape
Common head circumference measurement errors
- Occipital protuberance poorly defined
- Hair crushed inadequately
- Tape is on top of the ears
- Headwear not removed
limitations of head circumference measurement
beyond 3 years, growth in head circumference is so slow that its measurement is no longer useful; not sensitive to less severe protein-energy malnut. and non-nutritional factors may influence it
