measuring your client’s health

HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE ASSIGNMENT

WHAT YOU DO / You will use at least three measures of health to allow you to assess your client’s health and well-being
EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS /
  • Information sheets
  • A computer
  • A peak flow meter

QUALIFICATION UNITS / GCSE Health & Social Care
Unit 2:: Promoting health & well-being
HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE Measuring Your Client’s Health p. 1
You have successfully identified and described the factors and risk which can affect your client’s health and well-being. Now you are going to measure just how fit and healthy your client is. To do this you are going to use up to four different measures of health.
  1. Body mass index
  2. Height/weight charts
  3. Harvard Step Test
  4. Peak Flow

TASK 1 / BODY MASS INDEX
Use the body mass index information sheet to help you complete this task.
  1. Explain what Body Mass Index is, what it measures and how it is calculated.
  2. Calculate your client’s body mass index using the worksheet.
  3. Explain what your results mean: is your client overweight, underweight or OK? Eg, if your client is overweight you need to explain why this is putting their health at risk.
  4. Check your calculations by logging onto

TASK 2 / HEIGHT-WEIGHT
Use the Height-Weight information sheet to help you.
  1. Explain what height/weight charts are and why they are used.
  2. Either use the chart you have been given or find one on the internet ( to mark your clients height/weight on it.
  3. Explain what your results mean and which category your client falls into.
  4. Explain the implications for their health, and whether their health is at risk.

TASK 3 / HARVARD STEP TEST
Use the information sheet to help you. Explain what the Harvard Step Test is. Follow the instructions for the Harvard Step Test and ask your client to carry it out.
TASK 4 / PEAK FLOW
If your client is a smoker or lives with a smoker you could use peak flow as a measure of health. Use the worksheet ‘What is Peak Flow’ to help you.
TASK 5 / CONCLUSION
You have used four measures of health to assess your client’s health and well-being. Now do the following.
Choose one or two of these measures of health and describe them in detail, making sure you include any calculations.
Draw conclusions from these results. Comment on your client’s physical health. For example, “From the results of my client’s BMI assessment, I have discovered that they fall into the over-weight category. This means that ………………………….., and my client could be at risk of ……………”
To get a higher grade you need to write about this in as much detail as possible. Try to compare your results against any developmental norms for your client’s age.
INFORMATION SHEET
BODY MASS INDEX
In adults the relationship between height and weight can be an indicator of good or ill health. A person’s weight should be in proportion to their height as shown in the height-weight charts. A person is considered obese when their weight is more than 20% above the average weight for people of the same height and similar cultural background
BMI assesses whether a person is underweight, normal, overweight, or obese. It measures the amount of fat in a person in relation to his or her height. BMI is less accurate for athletes or those who are very muscled because muscle weighs more than fat. Such people can appear in a higher BMI category despite having a healthy level of body fat. The BMI is not accurate for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or for people who are frail.
The BMI Calculator is only one guide to a person’s overall health. Waist measurement, body fat level, blood pressure, cholesterol, physical activity, smoking and the healthiness of the diet are also important. A BMI assessment is not the same as a height-weight assessment.
BMI is assessed by using the following calculation:
Weight (kg) = BMI
Height (m) x Height (m)
TRY IT FOR YOURSELF
Using the formula above work out the BMI for the following people. Round up your results to the nearest whole figure:
Name / Age / Weight in kg / Height in m / BMI
Rachel / 28 / 54 / 1.62
Mike / 28 / 94 / 1.85
Siobhan / 15 / 60 / 1.60
Robert / 15 / 80 / 1.84
Alana / 15 / 49 / 1.62
Ben / 15 / 60 / 1.68
Linzi / 15 / 70 / 1.72
Sarah / 16 / 52 / 1.59
  1. Use the heights and weights from question 1 to create a scatter graph.
  1. For each client compare their BMI to the chart below.
Body mass indexes
Female / Significance / Male / Significance
Less than 18 / Underweight / Less than 18 / Underweight
18 – 20 / Lean / 18 – 20 / Lean
21 –22 / Average / 21 –23 / Average
23 – 28 / Plump / 24 – 32 / Plump
29 – 36 / Moderately obese / 33 – 40 / Moderately obese
37+ / Severely obese / 41+ / Severely obese
  1. Are any of the clients under or overweight?
If so which ones?
Name / Conclusion
Rachel
Mike
Siobhan
Robert
Alana
Ben
Linzi
Sarah
  1. Working with 3 friends collect information about each other’s height and weight in feet and inches and stones.
Height (feet & inches) / Weight (stones and pounds)
Person 1
Person 2
Person 3
Person 4
Now convert this into metric
To convert your client’s weight:
Change their weight into pounds (lbs) and then divide that by 2.2 to convert it into kilograms.
Weight 1 kg = 2.2 lbs
1 stone = 14 lbs
Example: client’s weight =8 stone 6lbs
To convert to pounds do the following:
8 x 14 = 112 + 6 = 118 lbs
Now to convert this to kilograms:
divide 118 by 2.2
118  2.2 = 53.636 (round this up to 2 decimal places)
  1. Now calculate your clients BMI using the formula given above.
  1. What conclusions can you draw from this result?
  1. Could their BMI affect their health and well-being? If so, how?

INFORMATION SHEET
Height and Weight
A person’s weight should be in proportion to their height and this can be a good indicator of an adult’s health. They are standard ways of measuring a person’s weight against their height. To do this standard charts are used which take into account the person’s frame size. Frame size s is a person’s bone size and build. Different tables are used for men and women.
A person will be considered OBESE if their weight is 20% or more above the average weight for people of the same height. If someone falls into the severely overweight range then they are at risk of:
  • Cardiovascular disease
  • High blood pressure
  • Diabetes
  • Arthritis and other conditions.
Moderately overweight people are still at risk and should follow the same plan as severely overweight people.
Slightly overweight people are still at a greater risk than those of normal weight, but should follow a sensible weigh-reducing plan and take more exercise.
Being slightly underweight is not a problem but being very underweight is a problem.
  1. What category does your client fall into?
  1. Is this a factor which could affect your client’s health and well-being?
  1. If so what health risks are they facing?
See the weight and height table overleaf.

INFORMATION SHEET
Harvard Step Test
The Harvard Step Test measures your endurance (stamina) fitness level. It tests how quickly your heart rate returns to its resting rate after exercise. The more quickly the heart rate returns to its resting rate the fitter your client is.
You need to be able to measure your pulse to do the Harvard Step Test. Ask your teacher to show you how if you are not sure how to do this.

How to carry out the Harvard Step Test

Work in pairs. You must step up and down onto a 50 cm step (if possible). You must:
Step up with one foot
Step up with the other foot and stand straight
Step down with the first foot
Step down with the other foot and place both feet side by side.
To calculate a person’s fitness indexes carry out the following exercise.
  • 0 – 4 minutes – step up and down
  • Rest for 1 minute
  • Take their pulse for 30 seconds
  • Rest for 30 seconds & record their score
  • Take their pulse for 30 seconds
  • Rest for 30 seconds & record their score
  • Take their pulse for 30 seconds
  • Record their score
  • Record all 3 scores in the table below.
1. Length of exercise in seconds
2. Multiply by 100 (this is figure A) / Figure A =
3. Enter pulse counts
  1. Add up the pulse counts

5. Multiply by 2 (this is figure B) / Figure B =
6. Work out your client’s fitness index by dividing A by B
A) length of exercise in seconds
B) 2 x sum of the three pulse counts
7. FITNESS INDEX
Find your fitness rating by using the ‘rating’ table.

Rating

Over 90 / Superbly fit
81 – 90 / Very fit
71 –80 / Fit
61 –70 / Fairly fit
51 – 60 / Lacking fitness
Below 51 / Seriously lacking fitness
Check that your results are accurate.
Record your own and your partner’s results in the table below. Now collect the results from at least eight other people in the class and up to other 20 people and record their results.
Name / Fitness Index
You need to draw some general conclusions about this group of people. So calculate the following:
  • The mean fitness index for the group
  • The mode fitness index for the group
  • The median fitness index for the group
  • Find the range of the fitness index for the group.
You must show your workings.
Present the information using two different charts, graphs or diagrams. This should clearly show the fitness indices of your client group.
  • How many people had a fitness index between 51 – 60?
  • How many people had a fitness index between 71 – 80?
  • What conclusions can you draw from your findings?

Performing the Harvard Step Test on Your Client

Ask your client to practise this movement so that they get a steady rhythm going. The four step-upsare one cycle and should take two seconds to complete.
How many step-ups will they do:
i)in one minute? ______
ii)in four minutes? ______
1. Length of exercise in seconds
2. Multiply by 100 (this is figure A) / Figure A =
3. Enter pulse counts / 1.
2.
3.
4. Add up the pulse counts
5. Multiply by 2 (this is figure B) / Figure B =
6. Work out your clients fitness index by dividing A by B
7. A) length of exercise in seconds
B) 2 x sum of the three pulse counts
8. FITNESS INDEX
Using the results from your client’s Harvard Step Test draw conclusions about their level of fitness. Could it have an effect on their health?
INFORMATION SHEET (or other title)
Peak Flow
A peak flow meter is a special kind of Spirometer, an instrument that measures the breathing rate and volume of air taken in by a person during each breath. They are used to see how effective a person’s lungs are. The peak flow meter usually measures the maximum rate at which air is expelled from the lungs when a person breathes out as hard as they can. This is called forced vital capacity. This is an example of a pulmonary function test, because it measures lung function.
To measure peak flow you will need a peak flow meter, which will record the maximum speed at which air can flow out of the lungs. The measurement is used to assess the width of the air passages (the bronchi).
The most common use of peak flow measurement is to monitor the narrowing of the air passages in people who suffer from asthma. It is also a useful measurement in people who have respiratory problems such as coughing or difficulty with breathing.
The peak flow meter can be use to diagnose whether someone has a problem with their lungs by comparing their score with a chart of expected scores. You could use peak flow to measure your client’s health, especially if you have a peak flow meter at home. This is a good measure of health to use if your client is a smoker.
How to Use the Peak Flow Meter
Your peak flow is a measure of how much air you can push out of your lungs with maximum effort. Below are simple instructions for using a peak flow meter. Be sure to write down your results.
  • Move the marker to 0 or to the lowest point/position on the scale.
  • Stand.
  • Make sure you're in the same position each time you test.
  • Take in as deep a breath as you can.
  • Put the mouthpiece of the peak flow meter in your mouth between your teeth.
  • Close your lips tightly around it.
  • Be sure your tongue does not block the opening. Blow into the mouthpiece once, as hard and as fast as you can.
  • Take the peak flow meter out of your mouth.

Peak Flow as a Measure of Health

If you are to draw conclusions about your client you have to compare their peak flow to the expected range for someone of the same sex, age and height.
My client
Sex:
Age:
Height:
Peak flow reading:
Once you have recorded you client’s peak flow, you must mark it on the appropriate chart below. What conclusions can you draw from these results?
Normal Males*
Age / Height
(Years) / 60" / 65" / 70" / 75" / 80"
20 / 554 / 602 / 649 / 693 / 740
25 / 543 / 590 / 636 / 679 / 725
30 / 532 / 577 / 622 / 664 / 710
35 / 521 / 565 / 609 / 651 / 695
40 / 509 / 552 / 596 / 636 / 680
45 / 498 / 540 / 583 / 622 / 665
50 / 486 / 527 / 569 / 607 / 649
55 / 475 / 515 / 556 / 593 / 634
60 / 463 / 502 / 542 / 578 / 618
65 / 452 / 490 / 529 / 564 / 603
70 / 440 / 477 / 515 / 550 / 587
/ Normal Females*
Age / Height
(Years) / 55" / 60" / 65" / 70" / 75"
20 / 390 / 423 / 460 / 496 / 529
25 / 385 / 418 / 454 / 490 / 523
30 / 380 / 413 / 448 / 483 / 516
35 / 375 / 408 / 442 / 476 / 509
40 / 370 / 402 / 436 / 470 / 502
45 / 365 / 397 / 430 / 464 / 495
50 / 360 / 391 / 424 / 457 / 488
55 / 355 / 386 / 418 / 451 / 482
60 / 350 / 380 / 412 / 445 / 475
65 / 345 / 375 / 406 / 439 / 468
70 / 340 / 369 / 400 / 432 / 461
Normal Children and Adolescents1
Height
(inches) / Males &
Females
43" / 147
44" / 160
45" / 173
46" / 187
47" / 200
48" / 214
49" / 227
50" / 240
51" / 254
52" / 267
53" / 280
54" / 293
55" / 307
56" / 320
57" / 334
58" / 347
59" / 360
60" / 373
61" / 387
62" / 400
63" / 413
64" / 427
65" / 440
66" / 454

key skills

MEASURING HEALTH ASSIGNMENT

STUDENT’S NAME
KEY SKILLS COVERED
This assignment addresses the skills highlighted in bold type.
Circle those which have been achieved by the student. / LEVEL 1
C1.1.1 / N1.1.1 / ICT1.1.1
C1.1.2 / N1.1.2
C1.2.1 / N1.2.1 / ICT1.2.1
C1.2.2 / N1.2.2 / ICT1.2.2
C1.2.3
C1.3.1 / N1.3.1 / ICT1.3.1
C1.3.2 / N1.3.2
C1.3.3 / N1.3.3
N1.3.4
LEVEL 2
C2.1a.1 / N2.1.1 / ICT2.1.1
C2.1a.2 / N2.1.2
C2.1a.3 / N2.1.3
C2.1b.1
C2.1b.2
C2.1b.3
C2.2.1 / N2.2.1 / ICT2.2.1
C2.2.2 / N2.2.2 / ICT2.2.2
C2.2.3
C2.3.1 / N2.3.1 / ICT2.3.1
C2.3.2 / N2.3.2 / ICT2.3.2
C2.3.3 / N2.3.3
C2.3.4 / N2.3.4
COMMENTS
HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE Measuring Your Client’s Health p. 1