Report about Relationship between the age, height, and body mass
Abstract
This research investigates the nature of the relationship between the age, height and body weight. The nature of the relationship between these three variables determines a person’s body health and fitness according to professionals. Therefore, this research will aim at ascertaining the nature of the relationship between the variables and, thereafter, a deduction of its relativity to a person’ health status will be made.
In the literature review, some authors bring in the gender aspect while others do not fully agree that a perfect ratio between body mass and height indicates good health. This ratio is referred to as the Body Mass Index (BMI). Many authors indicate that body weight is directly proportional to height, and age is directly proportional to both weight and height.
In the methodology, the data collection process involved the random selection of a sample of 30 people. Methods of data collection involved administering of questionnaire, oral interviews and taking of measurements (body weight and height). Information about the age of the participants was obtained through filling of questionnaires and direct interviews coupled with the observation. The researcher was able to assess the reliability of the answers from the respondents by making his/her own judgments through observation.
Data was analyzed at 95% confidence interval using SPSS statistical software. The data obtained from questionnaires, and the measurements was recorded and organized before it was analyzed. Excel computer package was used to generate regression lines and graphs. This gave the correlation between age, body weight and height.
In the conclusion, the researcher failed to reject the null hypothesis and concluded that body mass has a weak positive correlation to the height and age of a person.
Introduction
The relationship between a person’s height and weight is not clear. In my daily experiences, I have realized that some people are short but heavy while others are tall but light in terms of weight. By inspection, taller people are supposed to be heavier and shorter ones, relatively lighter. Researchers have linked body mass and weight to a person’s physical fitness. The relationship between these variables is referred to as the body mass index (BMI). Health and physiological experts advocate that there has to be a positive correlation between a person’s height and weight to show that the person has a proportional body, and a fit one for that matter (Phillip et al, 2004).
Some researchers, however, argue that this is not necessarily the case. They assert that this ratio gives a positive correlation only in men. Women, according to these proponents, exhibit a negative correlation between their weight and height. This is a subject of further research since gender is not a variable in this research. The participants of this research were chosen at random without considering their gender. The variables of interest were their ages, their heights, and their body weight.
The assumption that height is directly proportional to age needs further clarification. When referring to a single participant, their height is highly likely to be positively correlated with their age. However, considering 30 participants, there might be a need to carefully examine these variables without generalizations. Some people are younger and taller, and assuming there is a constant general trend in these variables has to be examined carefully (Williamson DF, Pamuk E, Thun M, Flanders D, Byers T, Heath C, 1995).
This research used mathematical and statistical theories to correlate these variables in order to make a credible conclusion. There are four research questions that have to be answered after the analysis of the data that was collected.
For this research to achieve its objective, which is to ascertain the relationship between age, height, and body weight, the following questions are supposed to be answered.
- What is the relationship between the age of an individual and his/her height?
- What is the relationship between the age of an individual and his body weight?
- What is the relationship between an individual’s height and body weight?
- What nature of relationship exists between age and body weight and height?
Hypothesis
The researchers tentative answer to the research questions is imperative to help him/her maintain course to approve or disapprove it. The researcher accepts the null hypothesis only when there is sufficient evidence to do so.
H0= body weight exhibits a positive correlation with the height and age of an individual.
H1= = body weight exhibits a negative correlation with the height and age of an individual.
Literature Review
The analysis indices between weight and height were not existent until recently when the WHO provided a guideline. Indices for overweight and underweight in different ages were released in 1995. Most people believe that the relationship between height and weight (BMI) is an indication of the health of a person. However, some researchers disagree with that fact. The following is a look at various researches that either supported or disagreed with the fact that BMI is used to indicate health.
According to Phillip et al, (2004), the relationship between weight and height is very important. Phillip explains that the BMI can be used to indicate the health status of a person. It has been known that people with certain BMIs are more susceptible to diseases than others. According to a research conducted in different countries, the researcher identified that an extremely high or low BMI shows that a person is unhealthy. A high BMI shows obesity, whereas a low BMI indicates underweight. Being obese comes with certain disadvantages in that a person is susceptible to conditions like high blood pressure, coronary heart diseases, diabetes and many other diseases that are hard to cure if there is a cure at all. A low BMI makes a person underweight, meaning that they lack certain nutrients in the body. They are susceptible to low immunity, which makes their bodies prone to diseases. The research recommends a balanced relationship between the height and weight of an individual which is indicated by an average result of the two.
Furthermore, the researchers investigated the risk of cardiovascular heart disease with an increase in BMI. The cohort studies were carried out in Asia Pacific. One disease was selected and a sample of people with the disease chosen. The risk of contacting ischemic heart disease was found to increase with the increase in BMI. Therefore, the higher the BMI, the higher the ease with which one could contact the disease. This simply means that people who are short and obese are the ones with a high BMI and hence will easily get heart diseases. Taller people are relatively safe because their body mass balances out.
Shetty & James (1994) in their research that investigated BMI as a measure of chronic energy deficiency realized that there is indeed a relationship between health and the relationship of height and weight. They, however, differentiated their research by introducing the age variable. The weight and height of people differs with the difference in age. Generally, it was found that BMI in children was lower than that of adults. In many adults, poor nutrition and inconsistent diets lead to very high BMIs, which made them lose most of their energy. Due to bad diet, a lot of people, especially women have accumulated fat in the body. The fat requires a lot of oxygen to produce energy so as to allow them to do a little work. The researchers concluded that the older people become, the more weight they accumulate hence the lower their energy reserves. Therefore, a proper diet is recommended to stay healthy.
Stephens et al (1999) gave the research on the relationship between weight and height a new dimension. Stephens in their research concluded that gender plays a major role in differences of BMI. The relationship between height and weight of men was found to have a strong positive correlation. In women, however, there was a negative correlation relationship. As men get taller, their weights are found to increase too. This means that men accumulate muscles, and their bones become stronger as they continue to grow tall. In women, however, they become lighter as they grow tall. This, therefore, means that shorter women are likely to be heavier than taller women, whereas tall men are heavier than short men.
Williamson et al (1995) disagreed that the relationship between weight and height necessarily indicates the health of a person. Other factors like physical fitness from exercise and smoking habits are determinants of health too. He brought out the contradiction in age difference, in that not necessarily older people have a high BMI. Some people are older, but with very low BMI because they are short. The same way, you might find a ten year old who is very tall. The fact that he/she is tall, and their BMI will be high does not indicate that the child is unhealthy. Therefore, because an older person has to have a high BMI, it does not mean that they have poor health because they are short.
Methodology
The process of data collection involved the administration of questionnaire, direct/oral interviews, and taking measurements.
Procedure
A sample size of 30 participants was selected randomly. Randomness minimizes experimental and subjective bias. The participants were briefed on the nature of research, and were also assured that the information they provide would be used for research purposes only. They were further reminded of the need to be honest in their responses. The questions asked by the research were simple, direct, and relevant to the research question to ensure data validity and reliability. A sample questionnaire is shown in the appendix section of this paper.
Tape measures, weighing machines, writing materials, and audio recorders were among the most valuable materials in the research. Tape measures were used to measure the heights of the participants while weighing machines recorded weights. Data on the ages of the participants was obtained from the responses in the oral interviews and questionnaires. The researcher could also assess the responses through observation since a participant’s phenotype explained something about his/her age.
Problems in this study
Data collection on the participant’s age depended solely on their honesty, and the researcher’s personal assessment. There is a high likelihood of experimental error due to subjective bias and data inconsistency. Another major problem in this research is the extraneous and confounding variables. Gender is a variable that was not manipulated in this research. There is a likelihood of this variable affecting the overall results since the research does not mention the gender of the respondents. Female respondents might exhibit different results from their male counterparts.
Data (Results)
The table below is a summary of the recorded data from the measurements, questionnaires, and the oral interviews.
Data Analysis
Using excel computer package, the data in the table above was analyzed to obtain the regression equation and the correlation coefficient. Performing analysis on the data outputs a histogram that shows the trend of data distribution. Correlating the participants’ age and body weight produced a regression equation as follows: y=.920x+44.45 and a correlation coefficient of 0.794. This is a strong positive correlation.
Correlating age of the participants and their height gave a regression equation as follows: y=0.020x+5.262, and a correlation coefficient of 0.325. This is a weak positive correlation.
Correlating body weight and height exhibited a weak positive correlation with a correlation coefficient 0.349, and a regression of y=0.020x+4.389.
Correlating age with the ratio between body weight and height exhibited a correlation coefficient of 0.605, and a regression equation of y=.113x+8.837. This is a strong positive correlation.
Conclusion
The main objective of this research was to answer the research question exhaustively. As observed in the analysis section, Correlating age of the participants and their height exhibited a weak positive correlation with a correlation coefficient of 0.325. However, the age and weight exhibited a strong positive correlation. The body weight and height exhibited a weak positive correlation as shown in the analysis section.
Therefore, the results and the analysis give substantive evidence for the researcher to accept the null hypothesis and conclude that body weight exhibits a positive correlation with the height and age of an individual.
References
Shetty PS, James WPT (1994) Body Mass Index. A measure of chronic energy
deficiency in adults. (FAO Food and Nutrition Paper No. 56.) Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome.
Stevens J, Cai J, Juhaeri, Thun MJ, Williamson DF, Wood JL (1999) Consequences
of the use of different measures of effect to determine the impact of
age on the association between obesity and mortality. American Journal of
Epidemiology, 150:399–407.
Williamson DF, Pamuk E, Thun M, Flanders D, Byers T, Heath C (1995)
Prospective study of intentional weight loss and mortality in never-smoking
overweight US white women aged 40–64 years. American Journal of
Epidemiology, 141:1128–1141.
Appendix
Is your participation in this research voluntary . NO/YES
Do you feel physically healthy YES/NO
WHY
Does your body weight make you uncomfortable? ..NO/YES. If YES how often?
How old are you now?
ANSWER .
Do you know how much you weigh? ..YES/NO
If YES, how much do you weigh? If NO why?
Can you remember how much you weighed last year? NO/YES. If YES, how much do you weigh?
How much did you weigh 5 years ago? ANSWER
Do you know your body height? NO/YES. IF yes, state your height.
In your opinion, do you believe your body weight has been increasing with your weight?
.
In your opinion, how has your weight and height changed with respect to your age?
