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Reliability of percentage ideal weight for height
V J Poustie1, R M Watling, D Ashby
1Institute of Child Health, Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital, Alder Hey, Liverpool L12 2AP, UK.
Archives of Disease in Childhood
|July 25, 2000
Summary
Percentage ideal weight for height (%WFH) is an unreliable nutritional assessment tool for children. Studies show significant variability in %WFH calculations among dietitians, indicating poor reliability for clinical use.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Anthropometric Assessment
Background:
- Accurate nutritional status assessment is crucial for child health.
- Percentage ideal weight for height (%WFH) is a commonly used anthropometric measure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the reliability of %WFH as a nutritional status indicator in pediatric populations.
- To determine the consistency of %WFH measurements among healthcare professionals.
Main Methods:
- Forty-two dietitians calculated %WFH for six children.
- Eleven dietitians repeated the %WFH calculations to assess intra-examiner reliability.
Main Results:
- High inter-examiner variability was observed, with estimates differing by 16.5 to 40 percentage points (mean 27.8).
- Significant intra-examiner variability also indicated inconsistencies in %WFH measurements.
Conclusions:
- %WFH demonstrates poor reliability as a measure of nutritional status in children.
- The wide variability suggests %WFH should not be solely relied upon for assessing pediatric nutritional status.