Measured versus reported parental height

doi:10.1136/adc.2005.073007

Arch Dis Child. 2005 September; 90(9): 941–942.

doi: 10.1136/adc.2005.073007

PMCID: PMC1720584

Measured versus reported parental height

F Cizmecioglu, A Doherty, W Paterson, D Young, and M Donaldson

Kocaeli University, Paediatric Endocrinology & Diabetes Department, Turkey.

This article has been cited by other articles in PMC.

Abstract

Aims: To determine whether there is a tendency for men to overestimate and women to underestimate their height.

Methods: Heights of parents of children attending outpatient clinics were measured (MHt) and compared with reported heights (RHt).

Results: Two hundred parents (100 males; 100 females), mean (range) age 37.8 (20.8–69.3) years, were measured. Males overestimated height, with mean (SD) RHt–MHt 1.09 (1.96) cm, while females reported height relatively accurately, with RHt–MHt –0.09 (2.37) cm.

Conclusions: The hypothesis that males overestimate height is confirmed. While the hypothesis that women underestimate is not supported, we recommend accurate measurement of both parents, given the considerable degree of individual variation in RHt–MHt for both sexes.

Figure 1

Histograms illustrating the difference between reported and measured height in (A) 100 adult males and (B) 100 adult females. RHt-MHt is indicated on the x-axis, with "0" indicating no difference, a negative value indicating underestimation, (more ...)

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