NUT 107: Anthropometric Indicators of Nutrition

NUT 107: Demographic Structure and Health

• Course offered by İstanbul Kent University, Nutrition and Dietetic
• Lecturer: Beyzanur ÇAMLIBEL

Course Topics

• Week 1: Basic Demographic Concepts and Data Sources
• Week 2: Demographic Indicators
• Week 3: World Population
• Week 4: Population Structure and Change
• Week 5: Fertility/Mortality
• Week 6: Migration and Urbanization
• Week 7: Midterm Exam
• Week 8: Population Policies/Population and Nutrition
• Week 9: Maternal and Child Health
• Week 10: Anthropometric Indicators of Nutrition
• Week 11: Sustainable Development Goals
• Week 12: Homework Presentation
• Week 13: Homework Presentation
• Week 14: Homework Presentation
• Week 15: Final Exam

Anthropometric Indicators of Nutrition

• Anthropometric indicators are used to assess and determine nutritional status.

Anthropometry

• Combining "anthropos" (human) and "metris" (measurement),
• Sizes the physical characteristics of the human body

Nutritional Anthropometry

• Measures physical dimensions (height, weight, circumference) to assess nutritional status
• Determines body composition (fat and muscle tissue)
• Is a sensitive method for determining nutritional status in nutritional epidemiology.

Assessment of Nutritional Status by Anthropometric Methods

• Includes:
  • Growth Measurements:
    • Height (lying or standing)
    • Weight
    • Head circumference
    • Knee height
    • Upper middle arm circumference
  • Body Composition:
    • Determination of body fat mass
    • Skinfold thickness
    • Waist-to-hip ratio
    • Upper middle arm fat area
    • Determination of lean body mass

Indexes for Anthropometric Nutrition Indicator

• Height by age
• Body weight by age
• Body weight by height
• Head circumference by age
• Waist/hip ratio, etc.

Anthropometric Indicators

• Used in public health research and epidemiologic studies
• Data on nutritional and health status of population is obtained from these measurements.

Growth and Development

• Growth: Maturity in terms of size
• Development: Changes in the working order of organs
• Growth and development: Developments towards adulthood in size and working order of organs.

Positive Aspects of Anthropometric Measurements

• Simple
• Noninvasive
• Reliable
• Inexpensive
• Easy to implement (with training)
• Accurate and precise (with standardized techniques)
• Expressed in numbers
• Objective
• Fast
• Sensitive

Selection of the appropriate method in anthropometry depends on:

• Risk groups
• Age
• Gender
• Available resources

Standards/Reference Data

• 1st National, 2nd International
• Longitudinal and cross-sectional data

Evaluation of Anthropometric Measurements

• Percentiles: Percentage of observations below a certain value
• Z-scores: Distance and direction of an observation from the mean value of a population
• Percentiles are used in industrialized countries
• Z-scores are recommended in developing countries

When Taking Anthropometric Measurements

• Regularly check the accuracy of the measurement tools
• Train the measurers
• Use reference values/standards to verify the measurements
• Identify any intersection points

Anthropometric Measurements for Nutritional Status

• Height
• Body weight
• Skinfold thicknesses (e.g., triceps, biceps, suprailiac, subscapula)
• Waist circumference
• Hip circumference
• Upper middle arm circumference
• Head circumference
• Chest circumference

Components of Body Weight

• Protein (Muscle)
• Total Fat
• Bone Mineral Mass
• Other parameters

Body Weight

• A simple but important morphological indicator
• Used to detect growth rate, obesity, and malnutrition
• Clinically significant if more than 10% of body weight is lost in less than 6 months.

Body Weight by Age (Children)

• Data for age ranges 0-5 years and 5.5-10 years are included in referenced tables

Z-Score Assessments (Weight-for-age GIRLS)

• Z-scores assess weight relative to age-specific averages.
• Standardized values for various growth and development assessment.

Height

• Measures linear growth
• Reflects physical development & skeletal structure.

Percentiles and Z-score assessments for Height

• Data presented to categorize growth: stunted, short, normal, tall, very tall

Body Weight Measurements Procedures

• Different procedures for adults and children (using different equipment) are stated.

Height-for-age Index

• Indicates linear growth retardation
• Short stature for age points towards stunted growth
• Stunting is linked to chronic malnutrition

Body Mass Index (BMI)

• Widely used to calculate ideal body weight recently.
• Defines obesity and obesity risk at the population level.
• Calculated as body weight (kg) divided by the square of height (m²).

BMI-Practical and Accurate Method for Assessing Body Weight

BMI Classification (WHO)

• Classifies individuals over 19 years based on BMI values (kg/m²)
• Provides categories for weight assessment

BMI in Children

• Uses regional and international standards
• Also uses percentiles and standard deviation scores (Z-scores) for assessment.

Head Circumference

• Primarily measured in 0–3-year-old children to assess brain development and potential anomalies.
• In older children, measurement may be necessary if a problem is suspected or no previous measurement exists.

Waist Circumference

• Measures abdominal fat distribution & poor health.
• Measurement procedure outlines a standard (standing upright, arms beside, feet together).

Waist Circumference Risks (Men & Women)

• High waist circumference in both men and women indicates an increased risk of obesity complications and mortality

Hip Circumference/Waist-to-Hip Ratio

• Hip circumference measurement and the waist-to-hip ratio indicate fat storage.
• Waist/hip ratios above specific thresholds for men and women suggest increased obesity-related health risks.

Neck Circumference

• Measures neck size as an indicator of abdominal obesity
• Circumferences above specific thresholds for men and women suggest higher risk.

Skinfold Thickness

• Triceps and subscapular measurements determine total body fat percentage.
• Skinfold calipers are used in the measurements

Turkey Health Surveys, 2022

• Show data pertaining to height and weight, by sex and age (self-reported); various charts showing survey data for obesity trends over time within Turkey,
• Includes reference data tables and graphs on national anthropometric surveys of Turkey

International Comparison of Obese or Pre-obese Status, 2021

• Charts showing percentile data on obesity and pre-obesity status of individuals age 15 years and over in different countries across the world