Methodology

With the aim of collecting as many data samples as possible, we booked a project room in the library and set up the room with stations, each to complete various measurements. There were 4 stations in total.

At the first station, participants were made to fill in their age and gender on a slip of paper.

Next, they were brought to the height and weight measuring station. They were asked to remove their shoes for this station for more accurate measurements. Their weight was taken by a digital weighing scale that was tared before they stepped on it for the measurement. Their height was taken manually using a measuring tape pasted against the wall. The measuring tape was checked to be perpendicular to the ground, with zero cm level corresponding to the floor. Each participant was told to have his or her back against the wall, weight distributed equally over both feet, face looking straight ahead. A box file was placed over the top of the participant's head, and checked to be parallel to the top of his/her head and the floor before the height measurement was recorded.

The third station was for their waist and hip circumference to be measured. This was done using a measuring tape. Their waist was taken to be around the umbilicus, while the hip was taken to be around the thickest part of the buttocks. We asked the participant to point out where their belly button was before placing the measuring tape around it for the waist measurement.

Finally, the participant was asked to lie down on the sleeping bag placed on the floor. We asked for permission to feel for their hip bone before palpating for their iliac crest on both sides and placing the measuring tape across to be at the same level. We then asked the participant to point out the level of their belly button again. Upon doing so, we measured using a ruler, the distance from the centre of the umbilicus, to the level of the iliac crest.

Each data statistic was carefully taken to minimise collection errors. No data was rejected. 

We recruited the help of participants who could each kindly spare us around five minutes of their time to help us with our data collection. They were students of Nanyang Polytechnic between the age range of 17 to 29. We tried to get an approximately equal mix of males and females in a spectrum of body sizes.