Nutrition Assessment and Anthropometry
Nutrition Assessment and Anthropometry tests how clinicians gather and interpret dietary, biochemical, clinical, and anthropometric data. Expect method selection, calculation, limitation recognition, and appropriate use of growth references.
Core rules
- The ABCD framework covers anthropometric, biochemical, clinical, and dietary assessment. A complete assessment combines several sources rather than relying on one measurement.
- Common dietary methods include 24-hour recall, food record, food frequency questionnaire, and diet history. Each has different recall bias, burden, and ability to estimate usual intake.
- BMI is weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. Adult cutoffs are underweight below 18.5, normal 18.5–24.9, overweight 25–29.9, and obesity 30 or above, with lower Asian cutoffs in some guidelines.
- Waist circumference adds central-adiposity information. In WHO European thresholds, increased risk is often flagged at 94 cm in men and 80 cm in women, with substantially increased risk at 102 cm and 88 cm respectively.
Worked example
A client weighs 70 kg and is 1.75 m tall. BMI = 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) = 70 ÷ 3.0625 = 22.9 kg/m². This falls in the normal adult range. If the same client had a waist of 98 cm, the BMI alone would miss central adiposity, so the waist measure changes the interpretation and supports further assessment.
Traps
Do not use BMI as a direct measure of body fat or health status; athletes and older adults may be misclassified. Do not measure waist over clothing or at the navel. Do not interpret a single 24-hour recall as usual intake. Use age- and sex-specific z-scores for children rather than adult BMI cutoffs.