Agreement among methods for study estimation of elderly height at the nutrition ambulatory

Abstract Objective: to evaluate methods of elderly height estimation attended at the Nutrition ambulatory. Method: a total of 43 elderly individuals of both genders were evaluated during nutrition consultations. Sociodemographic data were collected from charts and height, knee height, arms wingspan and semi-span were measured. Statistical analysis were made through Bland-Altman test to evaluate concordance among statures estimated by predictive formulas and the height measured. Results: the values found were: height measured in meters 1.53 (±0.08), height estimated by the wingspan 1.60 (±0.10), by the semi-span 1.61 (±0.11) and by the knee height 1.56 (±0.10). According to the Bland-Altman graph, the height estimated by knee height showed a better agreement with the measured height. Conclusion: according to this study results, poor predictive formulas concordance in height estimation in elderly, using the measures: arms wingspan and semi-span with real stature measured were observed. Knee height, using Chumlea formula, presented the best concordance with measured stature and seems to be a good way for stature estimation at the studied population.

摘要 目的：评估营养门诊就诊老年人群的身高估算方法。
方法：共纳入43名不同性别的老年受试者，于营养门诊咨询期间开展评估。通过门诊病历收集社会人口学资料，并测量受试者身高、膝高、臂展及半臂展。统计学分析采用Bland-Altman检验（Bland-Altman test），以评估各预测公式估算身高与实测身高之间的一致性。
结果：本次研究测得相关数值如下：实测身高为1.53（±0.08）米；臂展估算身高为1.60（±0.10）米；半臂展估算身高为1.61（±0.11）米；膝高估算身高为1.56（±0.10）米。经Bland-Altman图分析，膝高估算身高与实测身高的一致性更佳。
结论：本研究结果显示，采用臂展、半臂展指标估算老年人群身高时，各预测公式与实测身高的一致性较差；基于丘莱公式（Chumlea formula）的膝高估算身高与实测身高的一致性最优，可作为本研究人群身高估算的可靠方法。