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The use of knee-height as a surrogate measure of height in older South Africans
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Marais, Debbi, Marais, M. L. and Labadarios, D. (2007) The use of knee-height as a surrogate measure of height in older South Africans. South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 20 (1). pp. 39-44. ISSN 1607-0658.
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Official URL: http://www.sajcn.co.za/index.php/SAJCN/article/vie...
Abstract
The study aimed to determine whether knee height would be a more appropriate surrogate measurement than armspan in determining height and body mass index (BMI) in a group of South African older people (≥ 60 years). A random sample of adults (older than 18 years) who attended selected clinics or who lived in selected old-age homes in the Western Cape volunteered to participate in the study. Subjects were divided into a study group of older people (≥ 60 years of age, N = 1 233) and a comparative group of younger adults (18-59 years, N = 1 038). Armspan, knee height, standing height and weight were measured using standardised techniques. The standing height measurements were significantly different between the two groups (p = 0.0001), with a mean for adults of 1.61 m (standard deviation (SD) 0.09) compared with that of older people (1.57 m (SD 0.09)). Mean standing height decreased with age. Knee-height measurements were not significantly different between the two groups, but when used to calculate height, the adults were significantly taller (p = 0.0001), with a mean height of 1.67 m (SD 0.06) compared with that of the older people (1.59 m (SD 0.08)). Mean armspan also decreased with age, and derived standing height was significantly different (p = 0.0001) between the two groups, with adults being taller (1.67 m (SD 0.11)) than the older people (1.63 m (SD 0.11)). In this study group, the knee-height measurements were more closely related to the standing height than the armspan. The BMI calculated from armspan-derived height tended to classify the older people towards underweight. Knee-height measurement would appear to be a more accurate and appropriate method to determine height in older people in South Africa.
Item Type: | Journal Article | ||||
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Divisions: | Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Medicine > Warwick Medical School > ( - July 2016) Health Education Hub Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Medicine > Warwick Medical School |
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Journal or Publication Title: | South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition | ||||
Publisher: | Medpharm Publications (Pty) Ltd | ||||
ISSN: | 1607-0658 | ||||
Official Date: | 2007 | ||||
Dates: |
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Volume: | 20 | ||||
Number: | 1 | ||||
Page Range: | pp. 39-44 | ||||
Status: | Peer Reviewed | ||||
Publication Status: | Published | ||||
Access rights to Published version: | Open Access (Creative Commons) |
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