Human height

For other uses, see Height (disambiguation).

Height measurement using a stadiometer

Human height or stature is the distance from the bottom of the feet to the top of the head in a human body, standing erect. It is measured using a stadiometer,[1] in centimetres when using the metric system or SI system,[2][3] or feet and inches when using United States customary units or the imperial system.[4][5]

In the early phase of anthropometric research history, questions about height measuring techniques for measuring nutritional status often concerned genetic differences.[6]

Height is also important because it is closely correlated with other health components, such as life expectancy.[6] Studies show that there is a correlation between small stature and a longer life expectancy. Individuals of small stature are also more likely to have lower blood pressure and are less likely to acquire cancer. The University of Hawaii has found that the "longevity gene" FOXO3 that reduces the effects of aging is more commonly found in individuals of small body size.[7] Short stature decreases the risk of venous insufficiency.[8]

When populations share genetic backgrounds and environmental factors, average height is frequently characteristic within the group. Exceptional height variation (around 20% deviation from average) within such a population is sometimes due to gigantism or dwarfism, which are medical conditions caused by specific genes or endocrine abnormalities.[9]

The development of human height can serve as an indicator of two key welfare components, namely nutritional quality and health.[10] In regions of poverty or warfare, environmental factors like chronic malnutrition during childhood or adolescence may result in delayed growth and/or marked reductions in adult stature even without the presence of any of these medical conditions.

  1. ^ "Stadiometers and Height Measurement Devices". stadiometer.com. Archived from the original on 10 October 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  2. ^ "Using the BMI-for-Age Growth Charts". cdc.gov. Centers for Disease Control. Archived from the original on 30 January 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  3. ^ Price, Beth; et al. (2009). MathsWorld Year 8 VELS Edition. Australia: MacMillan. p. 626. ISBN 978-0-7329-9251-4.
  4. ^ Lapham, Robert; Agar, Heather (2009). Drug Calculations for Nurses. USA: Taylor & Francis. p. 223. ISBN 978-0-340-98733-9.
  5. ^ Carter, Pamela J. (2008). Lippincott's Textbook for Nursing Assistants: A Humanistic Approach to Caregiving. USA: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins. p. 306. ISBN 978-0-7817-6685-2.
  6. ^ a b Baten, Joerg; Matthias, Blum (2012). "Growing Tall: Anthropometric Welfare of World Regions and its Determinants, 1810-1989". Economic History of Developing Regions. 27. doi:10.1080/20780389.2012.657489. S2CID 154506540 – via ResearchGate.
  7. ^ "Shorter men live longer, study shows".
  8. ^ "Tall height".
  9. ^ Ganong, William F. (2001) Review of Medical Physiology, Lange Medical, pp. 392-397, ISBN 0071605673.
  10. ^ Baten, Jörg (2016). A History of the Global Economy. From 1500 to the Present. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-107-50718-0.