School of Health and Emergency Professions, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK.
J Hum Nutr Diet. 2012 Apr;25(2):121-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-277X.2011.01217.x. Epub 2011 Nov 14.
Assessments of nutritional status frequently incorporate a measure of height to evaluate a person's relative thinness or fatness. Because height is often difficult to quantify, it may be predicted from alternative anthropometric measurements, including ulna length. Little information is available about the accuracy of these predictions in an ethnically diverse population. The present study aimed to evaluate published equations for predicting height from ulna length in adults from different ethnic groups.
Ulna length and standing height were measured in a gender-stratified sample of 60 Asian, 69 Black and 65 White healthy volunteers, aged 21-65 years. Height was predicted from ulna length using the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) equations and compared against the measured values. Linear regression analysis was used to develop equations to estimate height from ulna length and to explore the relationship between height and ulna length in subgroups.
The mean (SD) age for Asian, Black and White in men was 31.7 (11.0), 32.0 (10.3) and 38.6 (12.5) years and in women was 26.2 (5.4), 32.6 (8.9) and 35.7 (11.7); the mean (SD) height in men was 170.9 (5.2), 178.1 (7.3) and 176.3 (7.7) cm and in women was 157.7 (4.7), 164.0 (5.9) and 163.7 (6.2) cm. Ulna length and measured height were significantly correlated among all subgroups, except Asian women (r=0.11, P=0.57). The mean (SD) difference between predicted and measured height showed significant overestimates for Asian and Black men [4.0 (4.8) and 6.7 (5.3) cm] and Asian and Black women [6.4 (4.9) and 4.4 (4.9) cm] but not for White men and women.
The MUST equations for predicting height from ulna length in healthy adults should be used with some caution among ethnically diverse populations, particularly in Asian women.
评估营养状况时通常会采用身高指标来评估个体的相对胖瘦程度。由于身高往往难以量化，因此可以通过其他人体测量学指标进行预测，包括尺骨长度。在种族多样化的人群中，关于这些预测的准确性信息较少。本研究旨在评估不同种族成年人中，从尺骨长度预测身高的现有方程。
对 60 名亚洲人、69 名黑人及 65 名白人健康志愿者进行了按性别分层的样本测量，记录他们的尺骨长度和站立身高。采用营养不良通用筛查工具（MUST）方程从尺骨长度预测身高，并与实测值进行比较。线性回归分析用于制定从尺骨长度估算身高的方程，并探讨身高与尺骨长度在亚组中的关系。
男性中亚洲人、黑人及白人的平均（标准差）年龄分别为 31.7（11.0）岁、32.0（10.3）岁和 38.6（12.5）岁，女性分别为 26.2（5.4）岁、32.6（8.9）岁和 35.7（11.7）岁；男性的平均（标准差）身高分别为 170.9（5.2）cm、178.1（7.3）cm 和 176.3（7.7）cm，女性分别为 157.7（4.7）cm、164.0（5.9）cm 和 163.7（6.2）cm。除亚洲女性外（r=0.11，P=0.57），所有亚组中尺骨长度与实测身高均呈显著相关性。亚洲人和黑人男性（4.0[4.8]cm 和 6.7[5.3]cm）以及亚洲人和黑人女性（6.4[4.9]cm 和 4.4[4.9]cm）的预测身高与实测身高之间的平均（标准差）差异存在显著高估，但白人男性和女性则没有。
在种族多样化的人群中，特别是在亚洲女性中，使用 MUST 方程从尺骨长度预测健康成年人的身高时应谨慎。
