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Correlation between standing height, sitting height, and arm span as an index of pulmonary function in 6-10-year-old

Lídia A G M M Torres1, Francisco E Martinez, José C Manço

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Brazil. lidiatorres@directnet.com.br

Pediatric Pulmonology
|August 12, 2003
PubMed

Insights

This study found that standing height and arm span are closely related in children, suggesting arm span can estimate standing height. Sitting height is a better predictor for children with limb differences.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Anthropometry
  • Biometrics

Background:

  • Pulmonary function assessment is crucial in pediatric health.
  • Anthropometric measurements like height and arm span are often used as proxies for lung function estimation.
  • Standardized protocols are essential for reliable measurements in children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between pulmonary volumes and flows and anthropometric variables (standing height, sitting height, arm span) in healthy children aged 6-10 years.
  • To determine the best anthropometric predictor for pulmonary function in children.
  • To explore the interchangeability of standing height and arm span measurements.

Main Methods:

  • 100 healthy children aged 6-10 years were recruited.
  • Standardized measurements of standing height, sitting height, and arm span were performed.
  • A comprehensive set of pulmonary function parameters were measured, including vital capacity (VC), forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV(1)), residual volume (RV), and total lung capacity (TLC).
  • Simple linear regression analysis was used to assess correlations.

Main Results:

  • Significant correlations were found between anthropometric measurements and pulmonary function parameters.
  • Forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV(1)) showed the strongest correlations with anthropometric variables.
  • Standing height and arm span demonstrated a significant positive correlation, suggesting potential interchangeability.
  • Residual volume (RV) exhibited the weakest correlation with anthropometric measures.

Conclusions:

  • Arm span can be used as a reliable substitute for standing height in estimating pulmonary function when direct height measurement is not feasible.
  • For children with limb deformities, sitting height may provide a more accurate estimation of pulmonary function.
  • These findings aid in the non-invasive assessment of pediatric lung health using readily available anthropometric data.

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