Anthropometrics may serve as a powerful tool in primary prevention interventions



Remember primary prevention involves the identification of disease or pathology risk factors. Primary prevention targets "healthy" individuals in an effort to prevent or minimize the potential for certain diseases or pathological conditions.







Body Mass Index





BMI is a quick, safe, and reliable screening measure to assess a person's weight relative to their height. BMIs are often grouped into categories. Some BMI categories are associated with health problems. For example, a BMI in the obesity category often indicates excess weight for height. Too much weight can increase risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and other chronic conditions.





BMI is not diagnostic. In fact, there may be some instances, due to not taking other factors into account, its predictive capabilities may be further compromised. For instance, BMI does not consider age as an important variable.



Body composition based upon the estimation of the percentage of body fat is another indicator of potential risk to the development of disease or pathological conditions.





The importance of Body Fat



Body fat or adipose tissue is crucial to health maintenance. Fat provides for the storage of metabolic energy and cushioning and protection of organs. It plays a role in hormone production and some vitamins require fat for absorption. Further, fat plays a role in insulation and cellular growth.


However excessive body fat is associated with increased risk for heart disease, musculoskeletal disorders, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, liver disease, high cholesterol, and sleep apnea





Here again, physical therapist assistants may be involved in primary prevention screening interventions using calipers to estimate percentage of body fat.


Normally, women typically have a higher percentage of body fat as compared to men. Normal range of percentage body fat for women when considering age is:


21%-32% at ages 20-39

23%-33% at ages 40-59

24%-35% at ages 60-79


Normal range of percentage fat for men when considering age is:

8%-19% at ages 20-39

11%-21% at ages 40-59

13%-24% at ages 60-79


Accuracy of skinfold measurements is very much dependent on the clinician's skill and experience with an 2.5% to 5% error rate.


Percent body fat can also be measured by some more expensive, less convenient, and perhaps less accurate methods. They include bioimpedance, hydrostatic weighing, 3D body scanning and others.








Waist to hip ratio is a very simple indicator of body fat. Rather than estimating a particular percentage of body fat, it compares ideal fat deposition with deviations from the "norm" while considering differences between males and females.







This is a good time to pause and assess your knowledge of key concepts.


Below are links to a few learning activities that might assist your mastery of the material.


Completing some of the tasks may also earn you class participation credit! However, most importantly it will assist in your learning.


You should attempt to complete the assignments without using your text, notes, etc., as they are designed to test your knowledge—just like taking a test in class—but without the grade consequences.


Tasks include mock exams, games, clinical scenarios, and more. Click/tap on the activities and see how much you know!



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