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Anthropometric measurements are noninvasive quantitative measurements of the body. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), anthropometry provides a valuable assessment of nutritional status in children and adults.[1] Typically, they are used in the pediatric population to evaluate the general health status, nutritional adequacy, and the growth and developmental pattern of the child. Growth measurements and normal growth patterns are the gold standards by which clinicians assess the health and well-being of a child.[1] Body measurements can help assess health and dietary status and future disease risk in adults. These measurements can also determine adult body composition to help determine underlying nutritional status and diagnose obesity.[2] The core elements of anthropometry are height, weight, head circumference, body mass index (BMI), body circumferences to assess for adiposity (waist, hip, and limbs), and skinfold thickness. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Child Health and Disability Prevention (CHDP) Program Health Assessment Guidelines (guideline #4), accurate serial anthropometric measurements can help identify children's underlying medical, nutritional, or social problems. Abnormal anthropometric measurements, especially in the pediatric population, warrant further evaluation. Anthropometric measurements can also assess body composition in athletes; this has been shown to optimize athletes' competitive performance and help identify underlying medical problems, such as eating disorders. Anthropometry-driven fitness programs in athletes have been shown to improve cardiorespiratory fitness and strength.[3] Anthropometric measurements are also used to assess the nutritional status of pregnant women and to assess patients with obesity.[4]

Errors in measurements are the only complications of anthropometric measurements. Evidence suggests that errors in weight and abdominal obesity measurements occur in higher proportions in the obese population.[8] This is possibly due to difficulty assessing bony landmarks in obese patients. Another common cause of measurement error is obtaining measurements in a nonuniform manner. Research shows classical anthropometric measurements, including weight, height, and BMI calculation, are less prone to measurement error.[9] Head circumference measurement, waist circumference measurement, and head-to-waist ratios have higher variability and are prone to errors.[9] Moreover, measurement errors only slightly improve after training. Sebo et al. studied the variability of these measurements when performed by general practitioners and noted an improvement after short theoretical and practical training.[10] A comparison of the 2 studies also reveals that the practitioners' experience does not improve or decrease the accuracy of these measurements.[9]

Anthropometric measurements are noninvasive and easily obtained, and they have a wide range of utility in pediatric and adult populations. In pediatric populations, it is an essential tool to detect metabolic and developmental abnormalities early on so that they may be addressed efficiently. In the adult population, they can be used to diagnose the severity of illnesses such as obesity and cognitive impairments and help follow patients over time to assess for improvement after treatment. Although an inherent measurement error exists, it can be minimized by using well-calibrated tools and training. To enhance long-term patient outcomes, an interprofessional team of nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and clinicians should work together to obtain reproducible results that apply to clinical settings consistently. This can help identify at-risk individuals early and help clinicians promote a healthy lifestyle for at-risk patients to avoid the well-documented adverse effects of obesity and malnutrition.