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. Common Conversions 24 inches = 2 feet 36 inches = 3 feet

8. Convert the following measurements to feet and 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. Measuring Height
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.

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. Reading the Height Bar
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.

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