Anthropometry

Dr Santosh Metgud
KLES Institute of physiotherapy
• A series of systematized measuring techniques
that express quantitatively the dimensions of
human body.
• Basic tool of anthropology
• Long tradition use in
– Physical education and Physical activity
– Sports sciences
– Biomedical sciences
• Body sizes and proportions, physique and
body composition are important factors in
physical performance and fitness.
• Anthropometry used in defining overweight
and obesity and in establishing the
relationship between being overweight and
health related fitness and life expectancy.
• Anthropometry involves the use of
– carefully defined body landmarks for
measurements,
– specific subject positioning for these
measurements
– Use of appropriate instruments
• Measurements are generally divided into
– Mass ( weight)
– Lengths and heights
– Breadths and widths
– Circumference of girth
– Curvatures or arcs
– Soft tissue measurements ( skinfold)
• Selection of measurements depends on the
purpose of the study and the specific
questions under consideration.
• Anthropometry is a method and should be
treated as such, a means to an end and not an
end itself.
• Each measurement should be selected to
provide information within the context of the
study design
• Anthropometry is noninvasive in a
physiological sense.
• All measurements are external dimensions of
the body or its part.
• Invasive in a personal sense.
• An individual person is being measured.
 Overall Body Size
• Weight and stature( height)
• Most often used
• Weight is measure of body mass.
• It is heterogeneous measure, a composite of
many tissues.
• Measured with individual nude which is
impractical so weight is frequently taken with
individual attired in ordinary clothes and no
shoes
• Stature or standing height is a linear
measurement of the distance from the floor or
standing surface to the top of the skull.
• Composite linear dimensions contributed by the
LL, trunk and head and neck.
• Measured with a fixed stadiometer
• Measured with subject in the standard erect
position without shoes
• Stature and weight show diurnal variation.
 Specific Segment Lengths
• Sitting height
• Height of individual while sitting
• Distance from the sitting surface to the top of
the skull with the individual seated in standard
position.
• Subjects sits erect on table knees hanging
freely and directed straight ahead. Hand are on
thighs, head is in Frankfort horizontal plane.
 Skeletal Breadths
• Breadth or width measurements taken across specific
bone landmarks.
• Provides an indication of the robustness or sturdiness
of the skeleton.
• Biacromial breadth measures the distance across the
right and left acromial process.
• Bicristal breadth measures the distance across the
most lateral parts of iliac crests.
• Both measurements are taken from rear.
• Standing position
• Bicondylar breadth measured across the most
medial and most lateral aspects of the femoral
condyles with individual seated and knee flexed to
90°.
• Biepicondylar breadth measured across the
epicondyles of the humerus with the elbows flexed
to 90°.
• Measured using sliding caliper
• Provides information on the robustness of
extremity skeleton
 Circumferences
• Limb circumferences used as indicators of
relative muscularity.
• Measured with a flexible, nonstretchable tape.
• The tape is applied at the appropriate site,
making contact with skin and not compressing
underlying tissue.
• Circumferences along with the skinfold can
provide estimates of muscle circumference and
cross sectional muscle and fat areas.
• Arm circumference is measured with the arm
hanging relaxed at the side. Measurement is
taken at the point midway between the
acromial and olecranon process
• Calf circumference is measured as the
maximum circumference of the calf with the
subject standing and weight evenly distributed
between both legs.
• Thigh circumference
• hip circumference
• Abdominal circumference
 Skinfold Thickness
• Skinfold thicknesses are indicators of
subcutaneous fat.
• Skin folds are a double fold of skin and
underlying subcutaneous tissue.
• Skinfold is raised with thumb and index finger
of the left hand about 1 cm above to the site.
• Caliper is applied at the site
• Triceps fold
• Biceps fold
• Subscapular fold
• Suprailiac fold
• Abdominal fold
• Medial calf
• Lateral calf
 Overview of Measurements
• Provides information on the size of the
individual as a whole and of specific segments,
parts and tissues.
• Skeletal breadths describe the overall
robustness of skeleton
• Limb circumference provide information of
relative muscularity
• Skinfold thicknesses are indicators of
subcutaneous fat
 Ratios and Proportions
• Ratios provide information on shape and
proportions
• Body Mass Index (BMI)
• Sitting height/stature
• Bicristal breadth/ Biacromial breadth
• Waist/hip ratio
 BMI
• Relationship between weight and stature.
• Weight/stature²
• Weight in kgs and height in meters
• Grades obesity
 Sitting Height/Stature
• Provides estimate of relative trunk length and
leg length
• Sitting height/stature X 100.
• Used in nutritional survey
• Useful in studies of population variation in the
proportional contribution of lower extremity
length to stature.
 Bicristal Breadth/ Biacromial Breadth
• Relates breadth of hip to that of the shoulders
• Bicristal breadth / Biacromial breadth X 100
• Useful indicator of sex differences in the
proportional relationship of the shoulders and hip
• Ratio higher in girls than boys
• Thus females have broader hip and males have
broader shoulder
• Also related in an index of androgyny
– (3 x Biacromial breadth) – Bicristal breadth.
 Waist/Hip
• Waist circumference is an indicator of adipose
tissue in the waist and abdominal area
• Hip circumference is an indicator of adipose
tissue over the buttocks and hips
• Ratio provides an index of relative fat
distribution in adults.
• Higher the ratio the greater the proportion of
abdominal fat.
 Physique
• Physique is the individuals body form, the
configuration of the entire body rather than
specific features.
• Referred as body build
• Assessment of physique is expressed in the
context of the somato type.
• Endomorphy
• Mesomorphy
• Ectomorphy
• Endomorphy
– Predominance of digestive organs, softness and
roundness of contours throughout the body
• Mesomorphy
– Predominance of muscle, bone and connective tissues
• Ectomorphy
– Predominance of surface area over body mass, linearity
• Health carter anthropometric method is used to
estimate somatotype.
 Applications of Anthropometry
• Description and comparison
• Evaluation of intervention
• Identification of individuals at risk
Thank U