Measuring height

EHES Training Material

Exclusion criteria

Height is not measured if participant • is immobile or in a wheelchair • has severe difficulties in standing straight• has a hairstyle which prevents the proper use

of the equipment • is taller than the maximum height of the

stadiometer• refuses

Equipment • Portable or fixed stadiometer• Steps • Carpenter’s level• Length rod

Clothing and standing position

• Ask the participant to take off shoes, heavy outer garments and hair ornaments etc.

• Check that the back of the head, shoulder blades, buttocks and heels are touching or in line with the stadiometer

• Ask the participant to stand still • Weight evenly on

both feet in a normal standing position

• Check the straight standing position from the front

Standing position

Posture of the head• Check that the ear

canal is in line with the cheek bone

• Lower the head piece of the stadiometer so that the hair is pressed flat

Reading the result• Read the result from your eye level

Tall participants• When the participant

is taller than you are, use steps

Recording

• Record height to the nearest mm, or to the resolution of the stadiometer

• Specify and record reason, if you did not measure height

• Record the number of the measurement device

Acknowledgements• Slides

• Johanna Mäki-Opas, Hanna Tolonen, Päivikki Koponen• Photographs

• Hanna Tolonen• Measurement demonstrations

• Liisa Saarikoski, Katri Kilpeläinen, Ulla Leskinen, Shadia Rask, Veikko Salomaa