Variability in the measurement of anthropometric measures: comparison between two statistical methods to assess interviewers, calibration

Revista Brasileira de Epidemiologia

Mondini, Lenise²  Freitas, Isabel Cristina Martins de¹  Moraes, Suzana Alves de¹  Castro, Vanilde de¹ 

[1] Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto;Secretaria de Estado da Saúde de São Paulo

关键词: Reliability;    Intraclass Correlation Coefficient;    Calibration;   

DOI  :  10.1590/S1415-790X2008000200009

学科分类：过敏症与临床免疫学

来源: SciELO

【 摘 要 】

Standardized technicalprocedures as well as statistical methods can be used to calculate the magnitudeof measurement errors in studies related to anthropometric measures.
OBJECTIVE: To compare two statistical approaches to evaluate interviewers´calibration during the training phase before data collection in an epidemiologicalstudy.
METHODS: Thirteen interviewers, divided into sub-groups were trainedto take two measures of weight and two of height from 10 volunteers in eachtraining section. Training was completed in six sections for weight and elevenfor height measurements. Digital scales were used to measure weight and wallstadiometers to measure height. In order to evaluate interviewers´ calibration,two statistical methods were compared: a) the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient(ICC); and b) the precision and accuracy as proposed by Habicht.
RESULTS: On average, interviewers were submitted to 2 sections for weightmeasure calibration, and to 3 sections for height measure calibration, and precisionwas reached before accuracy. ICC values showed that measures were strongly correlatedsince the first section.
CONCLUSION: The Habicht method seems to be better than ICC, given itallowed for corrections not only of interviewer discrepancies related to precisionbut it also calculated the magnitude of deviations between measurements of interviewersand supervisor (accuracy).

【 授权许可】

CC BY