This document summarizes the development and validation of a new field-based tool for measuring body proportionality among children. It was created by Jabeen Shah for a postgraduate research conference. The tool aims to provide a lightweight, portable, and inexpensive alternative to current laboratory measures of sitting height and leg length ratios, which are markers of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease risk. Initial results found the adapted measure to have high validity and reliability compared to standard measures, with a low coefficient of variation, suggesting it is suitable for use in field studies.

1. Development & Validation of a
field-based tool for assessing
body proportionalitybody proportionality
A presentation by Jabeen Shah
for the 1st postgraduate research
conference – 12 November 2010

2. Obesity epidemic
• Last 25 years dramatic increase in
obesity- 2008 17% boys & 15% girls
classed as obese; ~ 30%
overweight/obese(7-9)
• Major risk factor for type 2 diabetes
mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular
disease(1,3, 4-6)disease(1,3, 4-6)
• Tackling childhood obesity
Government priority(7)
• SAs identified as high-risk group(1, 4-
6)

3. Background
•South Asians – genetically
predisposed to central
obesity, insulin resistance &
type 2 diabetes, & CVD.
•The nature vs nurture debate

4. Background
• Anthropometry measure of
growth predictor of health
• Growth plasticity – ‘The
thrifty phenotype hypothesis’
(Hales & Barker, 2001)
• Overweight & obesity• Overweight & obesity
- taller for age children
(Baker et al., 2007; Buchan et al.,
2007).
- advanced sexual &
skeletal maturity
- shorter legs relative to
height (Pliakas & McCarthy, 2010).

5. The long and the short of it!
•Shorter leg length & shorter leg
length relative to height marker
for CVD, type 2 diabetes, &for CVD, type 2 diabetes, &
obesity (Asao et al.,2006; Bogin &
Varela-Silva, 2010; Pliakas & McCarthy,
2010).

6. Measures of leg length
•Leg length=
Standing height -
Sitting height
• Sitting height ratio
(SHR) = (sitting(SHR) = (sitting
height / height) x 100
• Leg length to
height ratio (LLHR) =
leg length/height

9. Study aim
• To develop a valid and reliable sitting
height measure for field use.
• Should be lightweight and portable
• Economical and relatively simple to• Economical and relatively simple to
construct.

11. Regular calibration with
1m rule.
Results so far…
1m rule.
Coefficient of variation
Seca = 0.1 -1.8%
Adapted LHM= 0.0 –
1.1%

13. +2sd= +1.53
-2sd= -0.53

14. Conclusion
• The results so far suggest that the
adapted measure is a valid and reliable
sitting height measure that is suitable for
field use.field use.