Rohrer's index

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.

Calculating Rohrer's Index

The formula for calculating the Rohrer’s Index is:

In metric units: <math>\frac{Body\ weight _{(g)} \times 100}{{Height _{(cm)}}^3}</math>

In Imperial units: <math>\frac{Body\ weight _{(lb)} \times 2768}{{Height _{(in)}}^3}</math>

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 underwriting. 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.

See also

• Medical Underwriting
• Body Mass Index
• Ponderal Index

References

ja:ローレル指数