V Flood1, K Webb, R Lazarus, G Pang. 1. Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Westmead Hospital, University of Sydney, New South Wales. vicki@cmed.wsahs.nsw.gov.au
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To examine the validity of self-reported height and weight data reported over the telephone in the 1997 NSW Health Survey, and to determine its accuracy to monitor overweight and obesity in population surveys. METHOD: Self-reported and measured heights and weights were collected from 227 people living in Western Sydney, who had participated in the NSW Health Survey 1997. RESULTS: Self-reported (SR) weights and heights led to misclassification of relative weight status. BMI, based on measured weights and heights, classified 62% of males and 47% of females as overweight or obese, compared with 39% and 32%, respectively, from self-report. CONCLUSIONS: Caution should be used when interpreting SR height and weight data from surveys, because BMI derived from these is likely to underestimate the true prevalence of overweight and obesity. IMPLICATIONS: SR data have a place in nutrition monitoring because they are relatively inexpensive and easy to collect. However, classifying people into weight categories on the basis of accepted cut-points, using SR heights and weights, yields inaccurate prevalence estimates. Periodic sub-studies of the validity of SR heights and weights are needed to indicate the extent to which the validity of SR is changing.
OBJECTIVE: To examine the validity of self-reported height and weight data reported over the telephone in the 1997 NSW Health Survey, and to determine its accuracy to monitor overweight and obesity in population surveys. METHOD: Self-reported and measured heights and weights were collected from 227 people living in Western Sydney, who had participated in the NSW Health Survey 1997. RESULTS: Self-reported (SR) weights and heights led to misclassification of relative weight status. BMI, based on measured weights and heights, classified 62% of males and 47% of females as overweight or obese, compared with 39% and 32%, respectively, from self-report. CONCLUSIONS: Caution should be used when interpreting SR height and weight data from surveys, because BMI derived from these is likely to underestimate the true prevalence of overweight and obesity. IMPLICATIONS: SR data have a place in nutrition monitoring because they are relatively inexpensive and easy to collect. However, classifying people into weight categories on the basis of accepted cut-points, using SR heights and weights, yields inaccurate prevalence estimates. Periodic sub-studies of the validity of SR heights and weights are needed to indicate the extent to which the validity of SR is changing.
Authors: Gregory E Simon; Michael Von Korff; Kathleen Saunders; Diana L Miglioretti; Paul K Crane; Gerald van Belle; Ronald C Kessler Journal: Arch Gen Psychiatry Date: 2006-07
Authors: Li Ming Wen; Victoria M Flood; Judy M Simpson; Chris Rissel; Louise A Baur Journal: Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act Date: 2010-02-03 Impact factor: 6.457