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.