Abstract
Waist circumference measurement is recommended in the clinical assessment of obesity and is a useful marker of total and abdominal body fat in genetic and epidemiologic research. Waist circumference measurement is non-invasive and is easily accomplished by trained observers in clinical and research settings. Consensus on the most appropriate measurement location has yet to be reached and several different sites and measurement protocols have been proposed. The importance of developing a systematic approach for identifying and marking the measurement site, positioning the tape, and recording the measurement cannot be understated. In this chapter, we present a description of the measurement of waist circumference. We include information on tape measures, measurement sites, and measurement guidelines. We present a detailed outline that will help clinicians and researchers to efficiently and reliably obtain accurate measurements of waist circumference.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Handbook of Anthropometry |
| Subtitle of host publication | Physical Measures of Human Form in Health and Disease |
| Publisher | Springer New York |
| Pages | 881-891 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781441917881 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781441917874 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2012 |
| Externally published | Yes |
