Height Affects Perception of Health
Data from England show that shorter people perceive their health as being poorer than tall or average-height people do. Steve Mirsky reports.
SUBSCRIBE TO Science Quickly
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
Height is correlated with a lot of things. Up to a certain height, taller people make more money than the vertically challenged. And the taller presidential candidate almost always wins. Now a study finds that your height as an adult has a profound effect on your perception of your health. Short people judge their health to be worse than average or tall people judge theirs. The research was published in the journal Clinical Endocrinology.
Data for the study came from the 2003 Health Survey for England. More than 14,000 participants filled out questionnaires and had their heights measured. The study only looked at how good the subject thought his or her health was, not their actual health. Questions focused on five areas: mobility, self-care, normal activities, pain or discomfort and anxiety or depression. Men shorter than about 5’4” and women shorter than 5’ reported the worst impressions. But small increases in height at the low end had much bigger effects on perception than the same increases among taller people. Other studies have shown, ironically, that shorter people on average actually live longer.
It’s Time to Stand Up for Science
If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.
I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.
If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.
In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.
There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.
