OBJECTIVE to identify anthropometric techniques and measurements related to nursing diagnoses and interventions, included in the NANDA International (NANDA-I) and Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC), respectively. METHODS descriptive study of the revision of the NANDA-I and NIC taxonomies by professors of Nursing of the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. RESULTS A total of 24 nursing diagnoses, 20 nursing interventions and 71 nursing activities were identified that require the use of anthropometric measurements. CONCLUSIONS anthropometric measurements are necessary in the conduct of numerous nursing diagnoses and nursing interventions that are commonly used in healthcare practice. It would be useful to systematize the use of anthropometric techniques in the application of the nursing process and to standardize this training process.