Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
The relationship between height and arm span, mid-upper arm and waist circumferences in children
Nurcan Yabanci1, Selim Kiliç, Işil Simşek
1Gazi University Vocational Education Faculty, Department of Food and Nutrition Education, Besevler, Ankara, Turkey. nyabanci@gmail.com
Background:
Height is a significant parameter in assessment of growth, development, and nutritional status.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between height and arm span, mid-upper arm and waist circumferences in Turkish children.
Subjects And Methods:
Height, arm span, mid-upper arm and waist circumferences were measured in 1145 boys and 1372 girls aged 7-14 years old from metropolitan Ankara schools in Turkey.
Results:
Among the children aged between 7 and 14 years old the arm span was determined to be shorter than height. The correlation coefficient between height and arm span of children aged 7-10 years old was 0.92 for boys and 0.90 for girls, and was 0.89 for boys and 0.85 for girls aged 11-14 years old. The correlation between height and arm span was high in both genders at the age group of 7-10 years old. Moreover, significant correlations were found between the height, the mid-upper arm and waist circumferences.
Conclusions:
Arm span was found to be strongly correlated with height. Although mid-upper arm and waist circumferences were moderately correlated, waist circumference was not detected as a predictor for height in girls and boys.
Related Concept Videos
Nature and Nurture
Variation: Normal Distribution, Range, and Standard Deviation
Signs of Puberty
Changes in the Appendicular Skeleton with Age
Initially, the limb buds consist of a core of mesenchyme covered by a layer of ectoderm. The ectoderm at the end of the limb bud thickens to form a narrow crest called the apical ectodermal ridge. This ridge stimulates the underlying...
Pre-Procedural Guidelines for Assessing Blood Pressure
Applications of Normal Distribution
The heights of 15 to 18-year-old males from Chile from 1984 to 1985 followed a normal distribution. The mean height is 172.36...
