Weight and height : the foundation of anthropometry and body composition

Abstract

Nutrition screening and assessment initiate the nutrition care process of individuals and groups and are also core in nutrition monitoring and evaluation. Anthropometry is an objective nutritional assessment method, and, in the case of infants and children, growth monitoring is also a sensitive indicator of health status. Most quantitative nutrition research studies involving nutritional status include a description of the subjects’ weight and height. Among the advantages associated with weight and height are the universal use, ease of taking the measurements as well as availability and low cost of the necessary equipment. On the other hand, two publications in this issue argue that in different South African settings height measurement poses challenges, thereby justifying an analysis of the accuracy of available height estimation equations from segment lengths. In both cases the authors raise doubts about the performance of the equations tested.