Anthropometric reference data for children and adults: United States, 1988-1994.

Objective: This report presents national anthropometric reference data for the U.S. population aged 3 months and older in 1988-1994.

Methods: Data in this report are from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), which was conducted on a complex, stratified, multistage probability sample of the civilian, noninstitutionalized U.S. population. A total of 31,241 persons were examined. The anthropometric measurements taken included weight, height, recumbent length, circumferences, limb lengths, joint breadths, and skinfold thicknesses. Body mass index values were computed from measured height and weight values.

Results: The tables in this report include weighted population means, standard errors of the means, and selected percentiles of body measurement values. Because measurements varied by sex and age (and by race and ethnicity in adults), results are reported by these subgroups.

Conclusions: These data add to the knowledge about trends in child growth and development and are useful in monitoring overweight and obesity in the U.S. population.