Adaptation of the International Standards for Anthropometric Assessment for Subjects With Motor Disabilities: A Consensus Statement of the ISAK Working Group on Motor Disability.

Abstract

The International Standards for Anthropometric Assessment (International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry [ISAK]) have been developed and refined over a period of over 30 years in order to guide the landmarking and measurement of a wide range of surface anthropometrical variables in able-bodied individuals in order for such measures to be reliable, repeatable, and valid. While numerous researchers and practitioners have undertaken anthropometrical assessments on individuals with motor disability, there is a lack of consistency in the processes used, and the ISAK protocol currently does not guide adaptations for measurement or interpretation in this population. Therefore, the ISAK working group on motor disability has reviewed the literature and provided recommendations to follow when undertaking and interpreting anthropometrical assessments in individuals with a motor disability. Prior to undertaking any assessment, practitioners and researchers are encouraged to first consider the purpose and validity of what they wish to measure in each individual, as they present with their own unique characteristics. Most importantly, the safety and dignity of each individual must be respected.