Geriatrics

[abrunt at iastate.edu]

Nikki,
I am a grad student also who is working at measuring older folks in their
own homes.  I have tried to do arm span as a indicator of height.  The
problem was finding a wall without any breaks or decorations so that I could
measure them.  (I did my anthropometric measurements in their home.)
  
Obviously, you have tried standing height, but it isn't repeatable.  I agree
Ross Labs does have a great knee-height capliper, but Chumlea et al. seem to
be the only group that use knee height.  

You said patients, therefore, measuring individuals who are in a supine position
may not be threatening.  Much of the literature that you will be comparing
your results with uses supine postitioning.  However, NHANES I, II just
measureses height in the usual way against a wall.  

I suggest Lohman TG, Roche AF, Martorell R.  Anthropometric Standardization
Reference Manual.  Human Kenetics Books.  Champaign IL. 1988.
This reference manual gives standard ways of measuring folks--sitting,
standing or supine.  


> Ross Labs have a great knee-height caliper that it fairly accurate-and not

> very expensive.

> Cindy Brison

> 

> At 12:07 AM 2/25/97 -0500, you wrote:

> >Hello.  I am a nutrition student at Penn State.  I am currently working with

> >a dietitian.  One of the projects I am working on for her is the measuring

> >of geriatrics patients.  We have discovered through trial and error that the

> >patients are a different height standing up verses lying down.  I was

> >wondering if anyone knew of any standard way of measuring these patients.

> >We have tried various methods ( measuring straight from head to toe,

> >measuring feet to hip joint, hip joint to shoulder blade, etc.)  None of

> >these methods give us standard results.  So, if anyone has any information

> >or knows of anywhere that I can find it, it will be greatly appreciated.

> >Thanks a bunch!

> >

> >

> >            Nikki Shoaf

> >

> >             nls130 at psu.edu

> >

> >

> Cindy Brison, MS, RD, LMNT, Extension Educator

> University of Nebraska Extension in Douglas County

> 8015 West Center Road;  Omaha, NE  68124-3175

> PHONE: (402)444-7872

> FAX: (402)444-6430

> E-MAIL: cnty9035 at unlvm.unl.edu

> "Helping You Put Knowledge To Work"

> 


---
Ardith R Brunt MS RD
1104 Human Nutritional Sciences Building
Iowa State University
Ames IA 50011
(515) 296-7230   (515)294-1868
fax (515) 294-6193
abrunt at iastate.edu