Fryar et al. (NHANES 2015-2018)
About this reference
The NCHS report (Vital and Health Statistics Series 3, No. 46) publishes survey-weighted anthropometric reference tables from the combined NHANES 2015-2016 and 2017-2018 cycles. Adult tables use 10-year age groups plus 80 and over and report selected percentiles separately by sex. Table 11 (males) and Table 9 (females) contain standing height for 10,602 adults: 5,092 males and 5,510 females. Height was measured once to the nearest 0.1 cm with a wall-mounted stadiometer. FitnessNorms reproduces the all-race P5, P25, P50, P75, and P95 values without interpolation or rebinning.
Known limitations
- US civilian noninstitutionalised population only; percentile position may differ in populations with a different height distribution.
- The examination response rate was 58.7% in 2015-2016 and 48.8% in 2017-2018. NCHS adjusted the survey weights for nonresponse.
- Sample sizes are unweighted; estimates are weighted using NHANES MEC examination weights for the combined four-year period.
- Cross-sectional design: each age group is a different set of people measured in 2015-2018, so differences between age groups mix change with age and differences between birth cohorts.
- The report excluded pregnant females from its weight, BMI, and circumference tables, but not from the adult height tables.
- Adult age is reported as an 80-and-over bracket; finer detail above age 80 is not published.