A pilot study to investigate the effect of using current, reported and surrogate height measurements in nutritional screening of the elderly

Adults naturally lose height as part of the aging process. This pilot study was undertaken following the observation in clinical practice that when older people were asked how tall they were, they invariably reported the standing height measured when they were young adults. Conversations with nursing and care staff suggest that there is lack of awareness about the effect of using various different measures or estimates of height on body mass index (BMI).