Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 4 complete abstracts (790 words), 10 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
The distance from the sole to the crown of the head with body standing on a flat surface and fully extended.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Body Heights; Height, Body; Heights, Body.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Body Size; Physical Appearance, Body
- Narrower topics
- Crown-Rump Length
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 40,579 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Body Height” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 3,554 of them (8.8%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is through 1999 with 18,884 records.
Reviews account for 2,134 records (5.3%) and meta-analyses for 268. Randomized controlled trials number 1,294 (3.2%) as a share of all records on the topic.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 18,884 |
| 2000-2009 | 8,730 |
| 2010-2019 | 9,411 |
| 2020 onward | 3,554 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 2,134 | 5.3% |
| Meta-analyses | 268 | 0.7% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 1,294 | 3.2% |
Method: PubMed query "Body Height"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-31.
Reading the evidence in anatomy and physiology
Anatomy describes how body structures are built and physiology describes how they normally work, so most findings here are descriptive or mechanistic rather than evidence about treatment. Much of what is known comes from dissection, imaging, tissue studies and experiments in animals, and measurements in healthy volunteers can differ from those in people with disease or at different ages. Normal ranges vary between individuals and populations. Check whether a result was measured in people or in another species, the age and health of the participants, and the method used.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
Six-minute walk distance in healthy subjects: reference standards from a general population sample [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- IntroductionThe 6-min walking distance (6MWD) test is a useful tool to obtain a measure of functional exercise capacity.
- Closing excerpt
- These findings will help to improve the evaluation of Italian and European patients with diseases influencing their functional capacity.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (262 words)
IntroductionThe 6-min walking distance (6MWD) test is a useful tool to obtain a measure of functional exercise capacity. However, reference equations have been mainly based on selected populations or small samples. The purpose of this study was to determine the reference equations to predict the 6MWD in a large Italian population sample of healthy adults of a wide age range.MethodsIn the frame of the multi case-control population-based study Gene Environment Interaction in Respiratory Diseases (GEIRD), we studied 530 healthy subjects: 287 females ranging 21-76 and 243 males ranging 21-78 years of age. We measured 6MWD, demographic and anthropometric data and collected the reported physical activity. A multiple linear regression model for the 6MWD included age, age2, height, weight and physical activity for both sex equations. The two-way interaction age-height and age-weight and the quadratic terms of weight and height were also tested for inclusion separately in each model.ResultsThe mean ± SD for 6MWD was 581.4 ± 66.5 m (range 383-800 m) for females and 608.7 ± 80.1 m (range 410-875 m) for males. The reference equations were 6MWD = 8.10*age + 1.61*heightcm-0.99*weightkg + 22.58*active-0.10*age2 + 222.55 for females (R squared = 0.238) and 6MWD = 26.80*age + 8.46*heightcm-0.45*weightkg-2.54*active-0.06*age2-0.13*age*heightcm-890.18 for males (R squared = 0.159), where "active" is 1 when the subject is physically active, 0 otherwise.ConclusionThis study is the first to describe the 6MWD in a large population sample of young, middle aged and elderly healthy Caucasian subjects, and to determine reference equations. These findings will help to improve the evaluation of Italian and European patients with diseases influencing their functional capacity.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 35382813 · DOI · PMC8985335
Whole-genome sequencing in 333,100 individuals reveals rare non-coding single variant and aggregate associations with height [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- The role of rare non-coding variation in complex human phenotypes is still largely unknown.
- Closing excerpt
- We have developed an approach for identifying non-coding rare variants in regulatory regions with large effects from whole-genome sequencing data associated with complex traits.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (159 words)
The role of rare non-coding variation in complex human phenotypes is still largely unknown. To elucidate the impact of rare variants in regulatory elements, we performed a whole-genome sequencing association analysis for height using 333,100 individuals from three datasets: UK Biobank (N = 200,003), TOPMed (N = 87,652) and All of Us (N = 45,445). We performed rare ( < 0.1% minor-allele-frequency) single-variant and aggregate testing of non-coding variants in regulatory regions based on proximal-regulatory, intergenic-regulatory and deep-intronic annotation. We observed 29 independent variants associated with height at P < 6×10-10 after conditioning on previously reported variants, with effect sizes ranging from -7cm to +4.7 cm. We also identified and replicated non-coding aggregate-based associations proximal to HMGA1 containing variants associated with a 5 cm taller height and of highly-conserved variants in MIR497HG on chromosome 17. We have developed an approach for identifying non-coding rare variants in regulatory regions with large effects from whole-genome sequencing data associated with complex traits.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 39362880 · DOI · PMC11450065
Reliability of Self-Reported Height and Weight in Children: A School-Based Cross-Sectional Study and a Review [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Since anthropometric measurements are not always feasible in large surveys, self-reported values are an alternative.
- Closing excerpt
- Self-reported weight and height in children can be a reliable alternative to measurements, but should be used with caution to estimate over- or underweight prevalence.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (213 words)
Since anthropometric measurements are not always feasible in large surveys, self-reported values are an alternative. Our objective was to assess the reliability of self-reported weight and height values compared to measured values in children with (1) a cross-sectional study in Switzerland and (2) a comprehensive review with a meta-analysis. We conducted a secondary analysis of data from a school-based study in Switzerland of 2616 children and a review of 63 published studies including 122,629 children. In the cross-sectional study, self-reported and measured values were highly correlated (weight: r = 0.96; height: r = 0.92; body mass index (BMI) r = 0.88), although self-reported values tended to underestimate measured values (weight: -1.4 kg; height: -0.9 cm; BMI: -0.4 kg/m2). Prevalence of underweight was overestimated and prevalence of overweight was underestimated using self-reported values. In the meta-analysis, high correlations were found between self-reported and measured values (weight: r = 0.94; height: r = 0.87; BMI: r = 0.88). Weight (-1.4 kg) and BMI (-0.7 kg/m2) were underestimated, and height was slightly overestimated (+0.1 cm) with self-reported values. Self-reported values tended to be more reliable in children above 11 years old. Self-reported weight and height in children can be a reliable alternative to measurements, but should be used with caution to estimate over- or underweight prevalence.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 36615731 · DOI · PMC9824624
Height, weight, and body mass index trajectories and their correlation with functional outcome assessments in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy [4]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- AimTo examine the factors influencing height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) z-scores, and the relationship between them and motor performance, in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).
- Closing excerpt
- This emphasizes the need for weight management strategies and discussions that support treatment.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (156 words)
AimTo examine the factors influencing height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) z-scores, and the relationship between them and motor performance, in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).MethodThis was a randomized, double-blind, parallel group trial involving 32 study sites across five countries. Height, weight, BMI z-scores, and clinical outcome assessments (COAs)-rise from supine velocity, 10-m walk/run velocity, NorthStar Ambulatory Assessment, and 6-minute walk test-were analysed in 4-year-old to 7-year-old boys with DMD randomized to 0.75 mg/kg/day prednisone, 0.75 mg/kg/day intermittent prednisone, or 0.90 mg/kg/day deflazacort in the FOR-DMD study. Trajectories were modelled using a linear mixed-effects model and correlations were explored through Spearman's partial correlations.ResultsIn 194 boys with DMD, higher height at glucocorticoid initiation was associated with slower growth (p InterpretationChanges in anthropometric measures after glucocorticoid initiation are associated with COA performance and larger correlations closer to the age of loss of ambulation. This emphasizes the need for weight management strategies and discussions that support treatment.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 40887311 · DOI · PMC12875185
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies for height and body mass index in ∼700000 individuals of European ancestry [5]
- Research article Waist-to-height ratio is a better screening tool than waist circumference and BMI for adult cardiometabolic risk factors: systematic review and meta-analysis [6]
- Research article A systematic review of waist-to-height ratio as a screening tool for the prediction of cardiovascular disease and diabetes: 0·5 could be a suitable global boundary value [7]
- Research article Adult height, nutrition, and population health [8]
- Research article Diagnostic criteria for nonviable pregnancy early in the first trimester [9]
- Research article Effect of stimulants on height and weight: a review of the literature [10]
References
- Cazzoletti L, Zanolin ME, Dorelli G, Ferrari P, Dalle Carbonare LG, Crisafulli E, et al.. Six-minute walk distance in healthy subjects: reference standards from a general population sample. . 2022. PMID 35382813 · DOI · PMC8985335
- Hawkes G, Beaumont RN, Li Z, Mandla R, Li X, Albert CM, et al.. Whole-genome sequencing in 333,100 individuals reveals rare non-coding single variant and aggregate associations with height. . 2024. PMID 39362880 · DOI · PMC11450065
- Rios-Leyvraz M, Ortega N, Chiolero A. Reliability of Self-Reported Height and Weight in Children: A School-Based Cross-Sectional Study and a Review. . 2022. PMID 36615731 · DOI · PMC9824624
- Schiava M, Dang UJ, Wood C, Wong SC, Ward LM, Lofra RM, et al.. Height, weight, and body mass index trajectories and their correlation with functional outcome assessments in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. . 2026. PMID 40887311 · DOI · PMC12875185
- Yengo L, Sidorenko J, Kemper KE, Zheng Z, Wood AR, Weedon MN, et al.. Meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies for height and body mass index in ∼700000 individuals of European ancestry. Hum Mol Genet. 2018. PMID 30124842 · DOI · PMC6488973
- Ashwell M, Gunn P, Gibson S. Waist-to-height ratio is a better screening tool than waist circumference and BMI for adult cardiometabolic risk factors: systematic review and meta-analysis. Obes Rev. 2012. PMID 22106927 · DOI
- Browning LM, Hsieh SD, Ashwell M. A systematic review of waist-to-height ratio as a screening tool for the prediction of cardiovascular disease and diabetes: 0·5 could be a suitable global boundary value. Nutr Res Rev. 2010. PMID 20819243 · DOI
- Perkins JM, Subramanian SV, Davey Smith G, Özaltin E. Adult height, nutrition, and population health. Nutr Rev. 2016. PMID 26928678 · DOI · PMC4892290
- Doubilet PM, Benson CB, Bourne T, Blaivas M, Society of Radiologists in Ultrasound Multispecialty Panel on Early First Trimester Diagnosis of Miscarriage and Exclusion of a Viable Intrauterine Pregnancy, Barnhart KT, et al.. Diagnostic criteria for nonviable pregnancy early in the first trimester. N Engl J Med. 2013. PMID 24106937 · DOI
- Faraone SV, Biederman J, Morley CP, Spencer TJ. Effect of stimulants on height and weight: a review of the literature. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2008. PMID 18580502 · DOI
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-10-31; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-10-31.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.