N G Norgan1, N Cameron. 1. Department of Human Sciences, Loughborough University, UK. N.G.Norgan@lboro.ac.uk
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine the accuracy of recalled height and weight, and calculated body mass index (BMI), over a 27-37 y period. DESIGN: Comparison of measured height and weight with recalled height and weight 27-37 y later. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred and twenty-five men measured aged 18-24 y as physical education students at Loughborough Training College, UK, between 1958 and 1967. RESULTS: Initial body weights were over-estimated by 3.1 +/- 4.5 kg and heights by 1.1 +/- 1.8 cm, on average. Some 42% (95) of recalls were within 2.5 kg and 79% (178) within 2.5 cm, resulting in 58% (130) of the differences in BMI calculated from recalled and actual heights and weights to be within 1 kg/m2. However, 29% (66) of recalls were more than 5 kg and 8% (19) more than 10 kg from the measured values. Weight errors (actual-recalled) were negatively related (r = -0.43, P < 0.001) to weight gain over the 27-37 y interval. CONCLUSIONS: Middle-aged men who were formerly physical education students recalled their previous height and weight well, in most cases, 27-37 y later. The bias from recalled data would be to underestimate weight gain by 3 kg and BMI by 1 kg/m2, on average. Errors of more than 5 kg in 29% of participants and of more than 10 kg in 8% would be expected to interfere seriously with attempts to show epidemiological relations between early weight based on recall and subsequent outcomes.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the accuracy of recalled height and weight, and calculated body mass index (BMI), over a 27-37 y period. DESIGN: Comparison of measured height and weight with recalled height and weight 27-37 y later. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred and twenty-five men measured aged 18-24 y as physical education students at Loughborough Training College, UK, between 1958 and 1967. RESULTS: Initial body weights were over-estimated by 3.1 +/- 4.5 kg and heights by 1.1 +/- 1.8 cm, on average. Some 42% (95) of recalls were within 2.5 kg and 79% (178) within 2.5 cm, resulting in 58% (130) of the differences in BMI calculated from recalled and actual heights and weights to be within 1 kg/m2. However, 29% (66) of recalls were more than 5 kg and 8% (19) more than 10 kg from the measured values. Weight errors (actual-recalled) were negatively related (r = -0.43, P < 0.001) to weight gain over the 27-37 y interval. CONCLUSIONS: Middle-aged men who were formerly physical education students recalled their previous height and weight well, in most cases, 27-37 y later. The bias from recalled data would be to underestimate weight gain by 3 kg and BMI by 1 kg/m2, on average. Errors of more than 5 kg in 29% of participants and of more than 10 kg in 8% would be expected to interfere seriously with attempts to show epidemiological relations between early weight based on recall and subsequent outcomes.
Authors: Linda G Kahn; Elizabeth M Widen; Teresa Janevic; Nadine Straka; Xinhua Liu; Piera M Cirillo; Barbara A Cohn; Germaine M Buck Louis; Pam Factor-Litvak Journal: Epidemiology Date: 2019-11 Impact factor: 4.822
Authors: Nicole Niehoff; Alexandra J White; Lauren E McCullough; Susan E Steck; Jan Beyea; Irina Mordukhovich; Jing Shen; Alfred I Neugut; Kathleen Conway; Regina M Santella; Marilie D Gammon Journal: Environ Res Date: 2016-10-12 Impact factor: 6.498
Authors: Todd M Jenkins; C Ralph Buncher; Rachel Akers; Stephen R Daniels; M Louise Lawson; Philip R Khoury; Tawny P Wilson; Thomas H Inge Journal: Obes Surg Date: 2013-09 Impact factor: 4.129
Authors: Rebecca E Graff; Thomas U Ahearn; Andreas Pettersson; Ericka M Ebot; Travis Gerke; Kathryn L Penney; Kathryn M Wilson; Sarah C Markt; Claire H Pernar; Amparo G Gonzalez-Feliciano; Mingyang Song; Rosina T Lis; Daniel R Schmidt; Matthew G Vander Heiden; Michelangelo Fiorentino; Edward L Giovannucci; Massimo Loda; Lorelei A Mucci Journal: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev Date: 2017-11-22 Impact factor: 4.254