Measuring the accuracy of self-reported height and weight in a community-based sample of young people

BMC Medical Research Methodology

Margaret Hellard³  Maelenn Gouillou¹  Megan SC Lim²  Rosanne Freak-Poli²  Anna Peeters⁴  Anna L Bowring¹ 

[1] Centre for Population Health, Burnet Institute, 85 Commercial Rd, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia;Department of Epidemiology & Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, The Alfred Centre, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia;Nossal Institute for Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Level 4, Alan Gilbert Building, 161 Barry Street, Carlton, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia;Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia

关键词: Young people;    Validity;    Obesity self-report;    Overweight;    Body mass index;    Body weight;    Body height;   

Others  :  1126441
DOI  :  10.1186/1471-2288-12-175

 received in 2012-06-08, accepted in 2012-10-22,  发布年份 2012

【 摘 要 】

Background

Self-reported anthropometric data are commonly used to estimate prevalence of obesity in population and community-based studies. We aim to: 1) Determine whether survey participants are able and willing to self-report height and weight; 2) Assess the accuracy of self-reported compared to measured anthropometric data in a community-based sample of young people.

Methods

Participants (16–29 years) of a behaviour survey, recruited at a Melbourne music festival (January 2011), were asked to self-report height and weight; researchers independently weighed and measured a sub-sample. Body Mass Index was calculated and overweight/obesity classified as ≥25kg/m². Differences between measured and self-reported values were assessed using paired t-test/Wilcoxon signed ranks test. Accurate report of height and weight were defined as <2cm and <2kg difference between self-report and measured values, respectively. Agreement between classification of overweight/obesity by self-report and measured values was assessed using McNemar’s test.

Results

Of 1405 survey participants, 82% of males and 72% of females self-reported their height and weight. Among 67 participants who were also independently measured, self-reported height and weight were significantly less than measured height (p=0.01) and weight (p<0.01) among females, but no differences were detected among males. Overall, 52% accurately self-reported height, 30% under-reported, and 18% over-reported; 34% accurately self-reported weight, 52% under-reported and 13% over-reported. More females (70%) than males (35%) under-reported weight (p=0.01). Prevalence of overweight/obesity was 33% based on self-report data and 39% based on measured data (p=0.16).

Conclusions

Self-reported measurements may underestimate weight but accurately identified overweight/obesity in the majority of this sample of young people.

【 授权许可】

   
2012 Bowring et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

Figure 1.

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