Introduction

Height is a very important indicator of body size for use in the clinical setting and also for nutrition and health research (Shahar & Pooy, 2003).  Together with body weight, height is an important parameter used to calculate creatinine height index, basal energy expenditure, basal metabolic rate, vital capacity (lung function) (McPherson, Lancaster & Carroll, 1978), estimation of nutrient requirements (Chumlea, Guo, Wholihan, Cockram, Kuczmarski, & Johnson, 1998) and calculation of body composition (Hurley, Bartlett, Witt, Thomas, Taylor, 1997). Though it is not the job of an Occupational Therapist to determine these vital signs of patient, it is important to consider the aspect of the person’s height when it comes to prescribing walking aids (Sauvage, Myklebust & Crow-Pan, et al, 1999). However, there are difficulties in obtaining an accurate measurement of height in especially in certain groups of subjects – the elderly (Shahar & Pooy, 2003), patient with scoliosis (Zaina, Atanasio & Negrini, 2008), pre-operative supine patients (Coe, Halkes, Houghton & Jefferson, 1999).

Thus our group decided to find out the person's height in relation to 4 times that of the length of the person's elbow to tip of hand. Besides that, we will determine the strength of the relationship and see if we are able to use this relationship for the purpose estimating a person’s height through the measurement of the elbow length.

Image of Vitruvian Man is Leonardo Da Vinci’s reflection on human proportion.

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Introduction:

In measurement, body proportions are often used to relate two or more measurements based on the body.

Our group has decided to find out if indeed, this holds true for a person's height in relation to 4 times that of the length of the person's elbow to tip of hand.

Rationale of study:

• To determine if the height of a person correlates to 4 times that of the person's length of elbow to tip of hand
• To prove if Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man [(length of elbow to tip of hand) x 4 = height] is applicable to the present population

Hypothesis:
1. Research Hypothesis

• There is positive correlation between height of a person and 4 times that of the person's length of elbow to tip of hand

2. Null Hypothesis

• There is no positive correlation between height of a person and 4 times that of the person's length of elbow to tip of hand

Variables:

• Independent variable: Height of a person
• Dependent variable: Length of elbow to tip of hand of a person
• Extraneous variable: Gender, age

Conceptualisation:

• Height: The vertical measurement from top of the head to bottom of feet in an upright position
• Length of elbow to tip of hand: The physical measurement of the length of elbow from olecranon to end of middle finger of both left and right side, with each elbow flexed, perpendicular to the ground, wrist and fingers in neutral position, then taking the average to get the value for data collection

Operationalisation:

• Height of a person will be measured using a measuring tape in centimeters
• Length of elbow to tip of hand of a person will be measured using a measuring tape in centimeters