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Updated: Aug 12, 2026
Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Development and Application of a Pediatric Anthropometric Evaluation System
Janet Schlenker1, Richard Ward
1Nutrition Services, Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children, Vancouver, British Columbia.
Insights
This study developed the Sunny Hill Anthropometric Pediatric Evaluation System (SHAPES) to improve nutritional assessment for children with physical disabilities. SHAPES offers specialized growth charts and software for accurate monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Anthropometry
- Disability Studies
Background:
- Children with disabilities face unique nutritional challenges, including feeding issues and altered growth patterns.
- Accurate anthropometric measurements are difficult in children with physical disabilities due to physical limitations and equipment challenges.
- Existing growth charts may not adequately represent children with physical disabilities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a user-friendly package of anthropometric measurements for children with physical disabilities.
- To create specialized growth charts and computer software for assessing growth in this population.
- To introduce the Sunny Hill Anthropometric Pediatric Evaluation System (SHAPES) for nutritional monitoring.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Coquitlam Growth Study and the Sunny Hill Growth Study.
- Developed custom computer software for serial plotting of measurements on growth charts.
- Created growth charts for various anthropometric measurements applicable to both disabled and able-bodied children.
Main Results:
- The Sunny Hill Anthropometric Pediatric Evaluation System (SHAPES) was developed, including specialized growth charts.
- The software enables comparative assessment of growth, muscle, and adipose tissue development.
- A case study demonstrated SHAPES' utility in challenging nutritional evaluations.
Conclusions:
- SHAPES provides a valuable tool for the nutritional assessment and monitoring of children with physical disabilities.
- The system addresses limitations of traditional anthropometric methods in this population.
- SHAPES facilitates better understanding and management of growth and nutritional status in children with disabilities.
Abstract:
Children with developmental disabilities are at increased nutritional risk because of feeding problems, abnormal levels of physical activity, and altered weight and growth patterns. Children with physical disabilities are often more difficult to measure because of muscular contractures, spasms, scoliosis, and the presence of splints, braces, or wheelchair accessories. In addition, body weights may be difficult to obtain for heavier children with limited access to wheelchair scales. The purpose of this project was to produce a package of anthropometric measurements easier to use in children with physical disabilities but still applicable to able-bodied children, and computer software to generate growth charts. The project included the development of growth charts for each anthropometric measurement, using data from the Coquitlam Growth Study (921 children aged six to 18) and the Sunny Hill Growth Study (567 children aged one to 5.9). The custom computer software allows serial plotting of a child's measurements on growth charts, permitting comparative assessment of growth and muscle and adipose tissue development. The resultant Sunny Hill Anthropometric Pediatric Evaluation System (SHAPES) provides a tool for nutritional assessment and monitoring after intervention. The use of SHAPES is illustrated with a case study of a child who represented a challenge to traditional nutritional evaluation.
