Validity of self-reported weight and stature in adolescents from Cuiabá, Central-Western Brazil

• Main Authors: Paulo Rogério Melo Rodrigues, Regina Maria Veras Gonçalves-Silva, Rosangela Alves Pereira
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Campinas 2013-06-01
• Series: Revista de Nutrição
• Subjects: Concordância; Antropometria; Índice de massa corporal; Coeficiente de correlação intraclasse; Estado nutricional
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1415-52732013000300003&lng=en&tlng=en

OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the agreement between self-reported and measured weight and stature in adolescents. METHODS: Ninety-seven students from public and private high schools of Cuiabá, in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil (14 to 19 years old), were examined to assess the validity of self-reported weight and stature. The adolescents reported their weight and stature, which were subsequently measured by standard procedures. The body mass index was calculated from both self-reported and measured data. Weight status was classified according to body mass index Z-score and World Health Organization criteria. The differences between the self-reported and measured means were tested by the Student's paired t-test. Weighted Kappa's coefficient of agreement was used to assess the variations in weight status categorization using informed and measured data. Agreement between measurements was assessed by the Bland-Altman method and intraclass correlation coefficient. RESULTS: The means of self-reported and measured weights (p=0.30), statures (p=0.76) and body mass index (p=0.47) were not significantly different. There was high agreement between self-reported and measured measurements according to intraclass correlation coefficient (weight: r=0.99; stature: r=0.96; body mass index: r=0.97) and the mean agreements estimated by the Bland-Altman method were 99% for weight and 100% for stature. CONCLUSION: Given the excellent agreement with measured data, self-reported weight and stature are considered valid to be used in epidemiological studies on adolescents of Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil.