When weighing a patient, what factor can skew the measurement?

• A. Heavy Clothing
• B. Not Removing Shoes
• C. Using Metric Units
• D. Measuring Nude

Answer: (A)

Heavy clothing adds mass to the person being weighed, so the scale ends up showing the combined weight of the body plus fabric, pockets, belts, and outerwear. That extra material skews the reading upward, especially with bulky garments, making the true body weight seem higher than it actually is. To minimize this error, weigh with minimal clothing or a standard gown and without shoes so the measurement reflects the body mass rather than what’s worn.

Not removing shoes can also alter the result, but the most variable and easily avoided source of error is the clothing. Using metric units doesn’t change the actual mass, it only changes how the result is expressed, and measuring nude would give the most accurate body mass but isn’t standard practice for comfort and privacy reasons.