Abstract
Introduction: The diurnal variations in stature significantly affect the reliability of height data. Diurnal variation in stature affects the reliability of any data that involves height measurement without a correction factor at different times of the day. The aim of the study was to determine the diurnal height loss of adults aged ≥ thirty years in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana.Materials and Methods: A total of 90 subjects were randomly sampled. Weight and Height measurements were taken twice a day between 5.30 - 7.30 am and 5 - 7 pm. WHO-Step wise questionnaires were used to gather all information on subjects. Results: The maximum height loss between 7 am and 7 pm from the study was 2.7 cm whiles mean was 1.61 cm. There was a greater mean height loss in males (1.63 cm) than in females (1.59 cm), greater mean BMI difference between morning and evening BMI was observed for females (1.21 kg/m2) than in males (1.02 kg/m2). There was significant association between height loss and occupational activities (p-value < 0.001).Conclusion: The height of the subjects significantly reduced from 7 am to 7 pm and increased from 7 pm to 7 am. The major factor that contributes to diurnal height variations is the level of occupational activity performed in a day. No significant relationships were established between age, sex, total caloric intake and diurnal height loss.
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