Rohrer's index
Encyclopedia
Rohrer’s Index is an anthropometric
statistic which combines the height and weight of an individual into a singular metric. The Rohrer’s Index and the Body Mass Index
(BMI) serve a similar purpose in that both measures can be used to classify individuals into the following categories: severely underweight, underweight, normal, overweight, and obese. The BMI measurement assumes the body is a two-dimensional square sheet and it measures weight per square unit of area, where as the Rohrer’s Index assumes the body is a three-dimensional cube and measures weight per cubic unit of volume. The Rohrer’s Index therefore takes into consideration one’s width and girth unlike the BMI measurement, and assumes that width and girth are proportional to one’s height.
The index is identical with the Ponderal Index
.
. Medical underwriters typically use height and weight or BMI as a component in the determination of an individual’s health status because one’s build can be correlated to specific chronic health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. Rohrer’s Index is thought of by some to be preferable to BMI because the threshold values used in the risk stratification of individuals during the underwriting process are more consistent than those of BMI, allowing for the creation of improved and refined predictive health cost models.
Anthropometry
Anthropometry refers to the measurement of the human individual...
statistic which combines the height and weight of an individual into a singular metric. The Rohrer’s Index and the Body Mass Index
Body mass index
The body mass index , or Quetelet index, is a heuristic proxy for human body fat based on an individual's weight and height. BMI does not actually measure the percentage of body fat. It was invented between 1830 and 1850 by the Belgian polymath Adolphe Quetelet during the course of developing...
(BMI) serve a similar purpose in that both measures can be used to classify individuals into the following categories: severely underweight, underweight, normal, overweight, and obese. The BMI measurement assumes the body is a two-dimensional square sheet and it measures weight per square unit of area, where as the Rohrer’s Index assumes the body is a three-dimensional cube and measures weight per cubic unit of volume. The Rohrer’s Index therefore takes into consideration one’s width and girth unlike the BMI measurement, and assumes that width and girth are proportional to one’s height.
The index is identical with the Ponderal Index
Ponderal index
The Ponderal Index is a measure of leanness of a person calculated as a relationship between mass and height.It was first proposed 1921 as "Corpulence Index" by Rohrer...
.
Calculating Rohrer's Index
The formula for calculating the Rohrer’s Index is:- In metric units:
- In Imperial units:
Uses
Once calculated the Rohrer’s Index measurement can be used for many purposes. One recently investigated usage of the Rohrer’s Index is medical underwritingMedical Underwriting
Medical underwriting is an insurance term referring to the use of medical or health status information in the evaluation of an applicant for coverage . As part of the underwriting process, health information may be used in making two related decisions: whether to offer or deny coverage; and what...
. Medical underwriters typically use height and weight or BMI as a component in the determination of an individual’s health status because one’s build can be correlated to specific chronic health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. Rohrer’s Index is thought of by some to be preferable to BMI because the threshold values used in the risk stratification of individuals during the underwriting process are more consistent than those of BMI, allowing for the creation of improved and refined predictive health cost models.