WLS Codebooks

Note: Codebooks contain frequency data from the private data release. For some variables, these differ from the frequencies in the public release. Variables that differ between the public and private versions include "(not available on public release)" as part of the variable description, or a note indicating the difference between the public and private versions.

In Person: Anthropometric Measures and Functioning

KANTHRO  Anthropometric and Functioning Measures

OVERVIEW

The 2011 in-person interview included five anthropometric measures: height;
weight; waist circumference; hip circumference; and two photographs;  and four
functioning measures: lung strength; timed chair rise; grip strength; and
walking speed. 

To maintain consistency across participants interviewers had identical
equipment for the measures. 

For the height measure participants were asked to remove their shoes and stand
straight with his or her back to a wall.  Interviewers gently placed a triangle
on the participant's head and marked a post-it note where the base of the
triangle met the wall. Interviewers used a retractable measuring tape to
measure the distance between the floor and the pencil mark on the post-it note.


For the weight measure participants were asked to remove their shoes and any
objects form their pockets temporarily.  The scale was placed on a hard
surface, if such a surface could not be found then the participant was asked to
self-report weight.

Waist and Hip circumferences were taken over the participant's clothing. 
Participants were however asked to remove anything bulky such as a sweater. 
For women, waist circumference was measured twice, once at the naval and once
at the narrowest part of the waist. For men the waist circumference was taken
at the level of the navel, or belly button. The hip circumference is measured
at the maximum circumference of the hips.  Maximum circumference of the hips is
the widest circumference point between the waist and the knees.  

Lung strength was measured three times using a peak flow meter. Whenever
possible the measurement was taken from a standing position. Participants were
instructed to take as deep a breath as possible; place mouth around the
mouthpiece, make sure tongue is away from the mouth piece, to not obstruct the
peak-hold needle on the meter, and to blow out all the air in the lungs at once
in a blast of air. Participants rested for a minimum of 30 seconds between peak
flow measures. 

Grip strength was measured with a dynamometer twice using the dominant hand.
Dynamometers were calibrated throughout the fielding period to maintain
comparability. The measures were taken with the participant in the sitting
position with the arm at a 90-degree angle, with elbow down along the body.
Participants were instructed to squeeze as hard as they could for one second.

The chair rise measure timed how long it took the participant to rise from the
chair into a standing position five times without using their arms.
Participants crossed their arms at their chest.  The timer began in the sitting
position and stopped when the participant was standing after the fifth rise.
Interviewers also recorded the height of the chair at the front of the seat,
directly in the middle.

The walking speed course was 2.5 meters and two measures were taken. 
Interviewers requested that participants wear sturdy shoes and to walk at their
normal pace.  The timer began when the interviewer instructs the participant to
"begin" and ends when his or her heel fully crosses the finish line.
	
The only measure for participants who were living in a nursing home was the
photograph.

Brief Variable Descriptions


 KANTSTAT-KANTREL	Module-level status variables
 KX450RE 		Flag for whether R participated in the physical measures      
 KX451RE-KX453RE  	Height
 KX454RE-KX456RE	Weight
 KX457RE-KX458RE	Waist
 KX459RE 		Hip
 KX460RE 		Photo
 KX461RE-KX464RE	Peak flow
 KX465RE-KX467RE	Chair Rise
 KX468RE-KX471RE	Grip Strength
 KX472RE-KX475RE	Walking speed

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