HOW SHORT IS TOO SHORT ACCORDING TO PARENTS OF PRIMARY CARE PATIENTS

Objective: Height is a physical trait on a continuum. The threshold between normal and abnormal is arbitrarily set but can potentially influence medical decision-making. We sought to examine parents' perceptions of adult heights and associated demographic factors.Methods: Parents of pediatric primary care patients of various heights completed a one-time survey. Parents answered the question "How short is too short?" for adult males and females. The results were summarized as median [interquartile range]. Factors significantly associated with height threshold by simple linear regression were included in a multivariable mixed effects analysis of covariance model.Results: A total of 1,820 surveys were completed (83% response rate; 1,587 females, 231 males). The median threshold height deemed too short for adult females was 56 inches [48, 59] among male respondents and 57 inches [50, 60] among females (P<.05). The median threshold height for adult males was 61 inches among males [60, 64] and females [59, 66] ...