Measuring Height & Weight

1. Measuring Height & Weight Of Adolescents and Adults

2. Why do we measure height and weight? • Important indicators of physical growth and development. • Used to evaluate health problems • Obesity • Monitor for edema (swelling) in patients with heart or kidney disease.

3. Equipment • Prior to performing procedures, you should become familiar with the following: • Scale • Height bar • Tape measure

4. Units of Measurement • Measure weight in pounds and/or kilograms • Height is measured in inches and/or centimeters • You will usually record your measurements in one system and will not need to convert your measurements to another system

5. You need to be able to read a tape measure and to convert measurements from inches to feet AND inches. • To do this: • Divide the number of inches by 12 and carry the remainder as number of inches: • 12 inches equals one foot • Divide the number of inches by 12. • On your paper….use 66 inches as an example. • Answer: 66 inches = 5 feet 6 inches, written as 5’6”

6. To convert fractions to feet and inches: • Example • 62 ½ inches • Divide 62 ½ by 12 • You should get 5 feet with 2 ½ inches left • Your answer should be 5’ 2 ½ “

7. 24 inches = 2 feet 36 inches = 3 feet 48 inches = 4 feet 60 inches = 5 feet 72 inches = 6 feet 84 inches = 7 feet Common Conversions

8. Convert the following measurements to feet and inches 1. 74 inches 2. 52 inches 3. 63 ½ inches 4. 67 ¾ inches

9. Measuring the Adult • Make sure the scale is balanced by moving all of the weights to the left side of the balance beam. The indicator should be level with the middle mark or “floating” in the middle.

10. Ask the patient to remove his shoes, heavy coats, jackets, etc. Use the same procedure for consistency. Patients weighed daily should be weighed at the same time with the same scale and the same amount of clothing each day. Patients can also be weighed using bed or wheelchair scales. Assist the patient onto the scale. Provide for safety at all times. The patient may face the balance beam or turn his back to the balance beam.

11. Move the lower weight bar to the highest number that does not cause the balance indicator to drop to the bottom. Move the upper weight bar slowly to the right until the balance bar is centered at the middle mark. Add the amounts of the 2 bars to obtain the patient’s weight. Record the patient’s weight in the chart to the nearest quarter of a pound.

13. The patient should stand on the scale with her back to the balance beam and measuring device. Ask the patient to look straight ahead and stand straight. Raise the height bar above the patient’s head and carefully swing out the extension or raise the bar before the patient steps on the scale. Measuring Height

14. Caution – Gently lower the height bar until the extension rests on the top of the patient’s head, at the center of the crown. Be careful not to hit the patient with the bar. • Hold the bar in place and have the patient step off of the scale before reading the measurement. Assist the patient as necessary.

15. If the patient is less than 50 inches tall – read the height on the bottom part of the ruler If the patient is more than 50 inches tall – read the height on the top movable part of the ruler at the point where it meets the bottom part of the ruler. Reading the Height Bar

16. The numbers increase in opposite directions on the top and bottom parts of the ruler so be sure to read the height in the correct direction

17. Record the patient’s height according to the policy of your facility. Convert the inches to feet and inches where necessary.

18. Now…we are going to practice!! Get a worksheet and see how well you can read height and weight measurement!!!