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Anthropometry is the measurement of the human body and its proportions, used to understand health, disease, and ergonomic design. Measurements range from weight to body circumference, and data is used to predict disease risk and design adjustable equipment.
The word anthropometry comes from the Greek words anthropos, which means “man”, and metron, which means “measure”. Anthropometry is a branch of the social science of anthropology that deals specifically with the measurement of the human body. Such a study can be undertaken to understand relative body proportions under various conditions, as well as to understand the range that is possible for humans. The field is also called “anthropometric measurement”.
The measurements included in anthropometry range from large to small scales and can involve static and dynamic measurements. Standard measurements may include weight; standing and sitting height; the length of the upper arm and leg; the circumference of the arm, waist, hip and thigh; the width of the body in different points and the measurements of the skin folds. These measurements are taken with the body in specific positions so they can be compared over time and from person to person.
Anthropometric data is collected for a variety of reasons. It can help in studying the relationship between diet, nutrition and health. It can help understand the relationship between obesity and disease and predict who may be at risk for certain diseases, such as adult-onset diabetes mellitus, arthritis, cancer, cardiovascular disease, gallstones, and high blood pressure . The data is also used to review child growth charts that pediatricians use to determine if children’s height and weight are within the normal range.
Anthropometry is a component of the Fels Longitudinal Study, a project of the Fels Research Institute that began in 1929. The study focuses on the areas of physical growth and maturation, as well as body composition and characteristic examinations that continue from birth through life. adulthood. Fels participants are measured according to a testing program that focuses on development phases and major changes.
Anthropometry has other applications as well, such as in ergonomic workplace design. Uses static, or structural, anthropometric measurements and dynamic, or functional, anthropometric measurements in designing equipment and furnishings that can be usable by most people and adjustable, if user characteristics are too broad or not easily specified.
Ergonomic solutions can also take into account information such as gender differences and body morphology and combine this information with anthropometric measurements in creating designs. The effects of changing conditions such as time of day, age and pregnancy may also be considered. Wheelchair anthropometry is a specialized subfield.
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