12.12.98

From : Tom Davis

Zinc supplementation / height measuring boards

As part of the evaluation of zinc supplementation, we plan to study its

effect on stunting. I have been appalled by the prices that I have been

able to find for infant/child height measuring boards: $169 - $340 each.

Does anyone have information on where I can buy lower-cost height

measurement boards, or find instructions/blueprints on how to properly make

one?

Tom Davis, MPH, Food for the Hungry International

Date: Thu, 17 Dec 98 11:06:49 -0500

From: "Pushpa Acharya"<acharyapatun.org>

Subject: Re: height measuring boards

The height board with movable foot board can be made locally using

wood. It can be used for measuring both the length and height.

UNICEF has used this model in several countries for surveys and for

growth monitoring. The model is very simple and can be made with

stripes for back carry if it needs to be carried around from house to

house. The model should be available with UNICEF. An average cost in

developing countries for one board should be less than ten dollars if

you use regular tape used for general purpose. The cost will go up

depending upon the accuracy of the measuring tape required.

Subject: height measuring boards - several replies

From Michael H.N.Golden

From: "Katherine Hilderbrand" <khildatnutrition.itg.be> Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1998 09:14:01 +0000

There are several models which can be copied locally - only thing to be careful is when the tape measure is placed that it is done correctly. There is a "blue-print" in Measuring change in nutritional status " from the WHO and many NGO's have models in their respective guide-lines.

Small point to keep in mind.... measuring boards with sides on them (which are not necessary in any case) have been taken for coffins in some cultures....

Regards

Katherine Hilderbrand

-------------------------

From: "Stanley Ulijaszek (NDFS)" <Ulijaszekathealth.curtin.edu.au> Organization: Curtin University of Technology Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1998 09:03:43 +0800

There is the AHRTAG length measuring device, which is simply a plan, and needs bits of wood, hinges, and a tape to fix to it. I can't remember how to get this (AHRTAG are/were London based): maybe someone else can help?

Best, STanley Ulijaszek

--------------------------------

From: Ann Burgess

20.12.98

Re Stanley Ulijaszeh letter of 14 Dec:

AHRTAG is still very active and is now renamed 'Healthlink'. Address is

Farringdon Point, 29-35 Farringdon Road, London EC1M 3JB

Fax: +44 171 242 0041, email: infoathealthlink.org.uk

Best wishes for 1999 to everyone

Ann Burgess, Nutrition Consultant

Craiglea Cottage, Glenisla, Blairgowrie PH11 8PS

Scotland, UK

Ph: +44 1575 582218

------------------------

Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1998 14:00:35 +0000

From: sakatamsterdam.msf.org (Saskia VD KAM)

There is a foldable measuring board, metal, which can measure adults

too:

E-mail: promes.wartnaatworldonline.nl

all the best,

Saskia van der Kam

MSF-Holland

------------------------------------

From: H.Shuklaatwestminster.ac.uk

Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1998 09:32:06 +0000

The cheapest that I could find for field surveys was Harpenden pocket stadiometer (Range 0-2000mm) from CMS weighing equipment Ltd.

In the catalogue the price is £56 +VAT.

The tel/fax for CMS is +44 171-387 2060 Dr Heema Shukla BSc, MSc, PhD, FRSH

Centre for Food, Nutrition & Public Health Centre for Food, Nutrition & Public Health, University Of Westminister

115 New Cavendish Street, London W1M 8JS

email: shuklahatwmin.ac.uk, Tel: 44+ 171 9115123, Fax: 44+ 171 9115007

----------------------------------

From: lnemeratworldbank.org

Dear Sir:

Have you tried to contact PATH? I'm not sure but they might have something..

Their website is www.path.org

Regards,

Leda

-------------------------------------

Also a message from Ethiopia about making length/height boards at point of use for $8.00 per board.

-------------------------

Fitsum Assefa (Concern) also designed and made locally when she was in Kenya, a length board with legs on it that doubled as a bench seat when not in use as a lengtht board - this was particularly useful and lifted the patients up of the ground - (but was not portable of course)

--------------------------

Note added by M Golden.

In very hot countries (Chad, Mali, Sudan etc) do NOT make or purchase a length board with any metal parts that could touch the subject being measured. the specific heat of metal is such that they can burn the patients - in particular a metal tape measure should not be used in these climates. Wood is much better than any other material for these climates.

Prof. Michael H.N.Golden

From: REMANCUS Sandra <SARatsfps.or.ci>

Subject: RE: Height Measuring Boards

Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 12:48:15 -0000

Tom,

In response to your request, I suggest you check out a website on Anthropometry that Bill Bender and I designed for the FAO. If you go to www.odc.com/anthro/tutorial/tunit14.htm you will find a unit on Obtaining Equipment for anthropometric measurements. There are approx.

5 options for purchase of ready-constructed boards with price information and addresses. Unfortunately all of these choices are in the price range you mentioned. There are additional options for an FAO field manual on local construction and information on how to obtain blueprints for a measuring board from the CDC.

If you cannot access this site, please contact me and I will copy the information for you.

Sandra Remancus, Santé Familiale et Prévention du SIDA, Cote d'Ivoire

Date: Thu, 24 Dec 1998 11:33:49 +0000

From: sakatamsterdam.msf.org (Saskia VD KAM)

Subject: Ngonut: Re: height measuring boards - reply

I have an electronic version (Harvard Graphics) of a design of a measuring board (Wood, non-foldable, 110 cm). Send me an email and I will forward it to you (attachment)(Saskia_vd_kamatamsterdam.msf.org).

MH Golden commented that in hot countries metal parts of measuring boards will become hot. This is partly true, because the exception on this rule is aluminium. Aluminium gets the same temperature as wood; and it feels like that. If an aluminium board cannot be used because of the heat, a wooden board can't be used either.

Saskia van der Kam

MSF-Holland, Amsterdam

Date: Tue, 05 Jan 1999 15:06:56 +0000

From: Michael Golden <refugeesatabdn.ac.uk>

Subject: aluminium and wood in hot climates

Materials for making measuring equipment in very hot environments (45-60+o).

Saskia states that aluminium is as safe as wood for making length boards for use in very hot climates (because they reach the same temperature!).

If the subject is to be "burnt" by contact with the material then it is not the temperature which is important but the heat capacity and thermal conductivity of the material. (that is the amount of heat energy contained in the material and the rate at which this energy can be transferred to the skin).

Here are some thermal conductivity.

(milliJoule/sec/cm/degree Kelvin)

Balsa 0.4

Cypress 1.0

Pine 1.1

Mahogany 1.3

Oak 1.4

glass 9

marble 29

stainless steel 329

carbon steel 969

iron 865

zinc 1170

bronzed aluminium 1297

aluminium 2360

copper 4030

The heat capacity (specific heat) values for non-pure materials are harder to find, but aluminium is higher than many other materials (values in Joul per gram per Kelvin)

Aluminium 0.897

Iron 0.449

Zinc 0.388

copper 0.385

The numbers are quite clear - aluminium is not as safe as wood despite Saskia's assertion! I suggest that you put a block of wood or aluminium into the oven at 60oC and then into the freezer at -10oC before putting both against your skin - you will quickly find that wood and aluminium are not at all the same!

Because aluminium is a lighter color and particularly if it is polished, it will reflect rather than absorb a higher proportion of radiant heat energy than other materials- nevertheless in very hot environmental conditions wood is to be preferred - aluminium at (say) 60oC can transfer sufficient heat-energy to the skin to do damage (particularly if the whole instrument is made from sheet aluminium) whereas wood will not.

Likewise in a cold environment aluminium will be much less comfortable for the subject than wood.

Prof. Michael H.N.Golden

Date: Tue, 05 Jan 1999 18:34:19 +0000

From: Michael Golden <refugeesatabdn.ac.uk>

Subject: length boards - more replies, info and requests

Ngonut's - the following were sent to me as owner-ngonut and not directly

to the list.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 08:59:22 -0500

From: "Vicky Quinn" <vquinnatsmtp.aed.org>

Subject: Re: Ngonut: Height Measuring Boards

There are blueprint plans on how to build a 'foldable' child length board

out of wood for field surveys in a Working Paper I prepared several years

back for the Cornell Food and Nutrition Policy Program. I would suggest

you contact the Cornell Group in Ithaca (New York State) for a copy.

This model was based on a board originally developed by UNICEF in Kenya (I

think by David Alnwick). It is hinged in the middle so that it can be

collapsed and easily carried by field enumerators. There is a movable foot

piece which slides up and down in a central groove along the middle of the

board. I recently had some made in Ghana for about $12 a piece. Its also

long enough to measure children up to 5 years (but then a 'correction'

factor would be needed to convert recumbent length to standing height for

kids over 24 months in order to use the WHO/NCHS growth reference standards).

My advice would be to ensure the wood used is well 'cured' so it doesn't

later warp. Also be careful about the tape measure used (glued to the side

of the board) has the numbers next to the markings (not below or above).

I've seen too many problems with enumerators misreading measurements when

the numbers are not clearly set against the marks - of course this relates

to training but we all know how things can go wrong in the field! I ended

up having to buy the measuring tapes in the States as I couldn't find the

right types locally.

Good luck.

Vicky Quinn, Africa Coordinator

LINKAGES Project (AED), 1255 23rd St, NW, Washington, DC

-----------------------------------------------------------

From: "Parvanta, Ibrahim" <ixp1atcdc.gov>

Subject: RE: Ngonut: Height Measuring Boards

Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 09:47:02 -0500

The Division of Nutrition at CDC used to provide blue prints some years

ago...we do not do so any longer. However, together with Emory University,

we are in the process of implementing a project to systematically evaluate

various adult and pediatric scales and height/length measuring equipment

used in primary health care settings, health screening programs, nutrition

and growth monitoring programs, rapid nutrition surveys, etc. We hope to

complete the project by the latter half of 1999.

If you have any suggestions on widely available equipment that should be

included in this evaluation, please contact Abe Parvanta at [ixp1atcdc.gov]

or Rachel Albalak at [ralbalaatsph.emory.edu]. Kindly include the brand and

model, manufacturer or distributor (including contact info.), approximate

price, and any other relevant information you would like to share about the

equipment.

Regards,

Abe Parvanta, CDC, Atlanta, GA

-------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 03:11:39 +0600 (BDT)

From: "Dr. S.K. Roy" <skroyatcis.icddrb.org>

Subject: Re: Ngonut: height measuring boards - several replies

Dear Mike,

We have a simple accurate locally constructed wooden (2 Kg) folded length

measuring board easy to use in field and women health worker can even take

in bags both side of board have fixed tailor tapes/metal tapes and fixed

head board and moveable foot board, cosing less than commercial ones. You

need carpenters who can easily make those.

Will be delighted to share more if needed.

Regards,

Swapan

Dr.S.K.Roy, MBBS, M.Sc, Ph.D, Scientist

ICDDR,B - Dhaka, Bangladesh

email: skroyaticddrb.org, Fax 880-2-883-116, Phone: 880-2-871751-60 880-2-9117095(res)

--------------------------------------------------------------

From: Heema Shukla H.Shuklaatwestminster.ac.uk

Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1998 09:32:06 +0000

Subject: Re: Ngonut: Height Measuring Boards

The cheapest that I could find for field surveys was Harpenden pocket

stadiometer (Range 0-2000mm) from CMS weighing equipment Ltd.

In the catalogue the price is £56 +VAT.

The tel/fax for CMS is +44 171-387 2060

Dr Heema Shukla BSc, MSc, PhD, FRSH

Centre for Food, Nutrition & Public Health

University Of Westminister, 115 New Cavendish Street, London W1M 8JS

email: shuklahatwmin.ac.uk, Tel: 44+ 171 9115123, Fax: 44+ 171 9115007

---------------------------------------------------------

Date: Thu, 17 Dec 98 11:06:49 -0500

From: "Pushpa Acharya"<acharyapatun.org>

Subject: Re: Ngonut: height measuring boards - several replies

The height board with movable foot board can be made locally using

wood. It can be used for measuring both the length and height.

UNICEF has used this model in several countries for surveys and for

growth monitoring. The model is very simple and can be made with

stripes for back carry if it needs to be carried around from house to

house. The model should be available with UNICEF. An average cost in

developing countries for one board should be less than ten dollars if

you use regular tape used for general purpose. The cost will go up

depending upon the accuracy of the measuring tape required.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1998 14:00:35 +0000

From: sakatamsterdam.msf.org (Saskia VD KAM)

Subject: Re: Ngonut: Height Measuring Boards

There is a foldable measuring board, metal, which can measure adults

too:

E-mail: promes.wartnaatworldonline.nl

all the best,

Saskia van der Kam

MSF-Holland

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Cheers! This subject has the prize for the most traffic so far!

Happy New Year!

Prof. Michael H.N.Golden