Definition
For female household members of childbearing age, HWFROHRER (HA41) reports their Rohrer's Index. Rohrer's Index is an anthropometric measure relating weight to height, equal to body weight (kilograms) divided by height (meters) cubed (W/H3). Rohrer's Index is a measure of acute nutritional status, and may be used as an alternative to Body Mass Index.
The original height and weight values used to calculate Rohrer's Index are also included in the DHS. HWFWEIGHT (HA2) reports the female household member's weight in kilograms as measured by DHS personnel; HWFHEIGHT (HA3) reports their length or height in centimeters as measured by DHS personnel.
For an alternate measure of female nutrition, IPUMS-DHS users may also be interested in HWFBMI (the female household member's Body Mass Index (BMI), which is equal to body weight (kilograms) divided by height (meters) squared (W/H2)).