Definition
Components
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Data Element ConceptPerson—height
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Value DomainTotal centimetres NN[N]
Representation
This representation is based on the value domain for this data element, more information is available at " Total centimetres NN[N] ".| Data Type | Number |
|---|---|
| Format | NN[N] |
| Maximum character length | 3 |
| Value | Meaning | Start Date | End Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supplementary Values | 888 | Unknown | ||
| 999 | Not stated/inadequately described |
Comments
This metadata item is recommended for persons aged 18 years or older. It is recommended for use in population surveys when it is not possible to measure height.
It is recommended that in population surveys, sociodemographic data including ethnicity should be collected, as well as other risk factors including physiological status (e.g. pregnancy), physical activity, smoking and alcohol consumption. Summary statistics may need to be adjusted for these variables.
Metadata items currently exist for sex, date of birth, country of birth, Indigenous status and smoking. Metadata items are being developed for physical activity.
Presentation of data:
Means, 95% confidence intervals, medians and centiles should be reported to one decimal place. Where the sample permits, population estimates should be presented by sex and 5-year age groups. Estimates based on sample surveys may need to take into account sampling weights.
For consistency with conventional practice, and for current comparability with international data sets, recommended centiles are 5, 10, 15, 25, 50, 75, 85, 90 and 95. To estimate the 5th and 95th centiles, a sample size of at least 200 is recommended for each group for which the centiles are being specified.
For some reporting purposes, it may be desirable to present height data in categories. It is recommended that 5 cm groupings are used for this purpose. Height data should not be rounded before categorisation. The following categories may be appropriate for describing the heights of Australian men and women, although the range will depend on the population. The World Health Organization's range for height is 140-190 cm.
Height <140 cm
140 cm = Height < 145 cm
145 cm = Height < 150 cm
... in 5 cm categories
185 cm = Height < 190 cm
Height => 190 cm
On average, height tends to be overestimated when self-reported by respondents. Data for Australian men and women aged 20-69 years in 1989 indicated that men overestimated by an average of 1.1 cm (SEM* of 0.04 cm) and women by an average of 0.5 cm (SEM of 0.05 cm) (Waters 1993). The extent of overestimation varied with age.
*Note: SEM is the standard error of measurement.