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Reliability and validity of parental measurements of infant size
J L Bradley1, J E Brown, J H Himes
1Public Health Nutrition, Division of Epidemiology, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis 55454-1015, USA.
Insights
Parents can reliably measure infant size using simple tools and instructions. These accurate measurements of head circumference, arm circumference, abdominal circumference, and length are suitable for health assessments.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Anthropometry
- Public Health
Background:
- Accurate infant anthropometry is crucial for monitoring growth and health.
- Parental measurement of infant size can increase data collection efficiency in large-scale studies.
- Validated methods are needed to ensure the reliability of parental measurements.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the reliability and validity of parental measurements of infant anthropometric parameters.
- To assess the suitability of parental measurements for individual and group-level analyses.
Main Methods:
- Parents of 28 infants (1-6 weeks old) used illustrated instructions and simple tools to measure head circumference (HC), mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), abdominal circumference (AC), and recumbent length (RL).
- Parents performed measurements twice independently.
- A trained observer also performed measurements twice on each infant for comparison.
Main Results:
- Parental measurements showed high correlation with observer measurements (intraclass R: RL=0.81, AC=0.70, MUAC=0.80, HC=0.94).
- Mean differences between parental and observer measurements were small (0.3% for HC/RL, 3.8% for AC).
- Intraclass reliability between parental measurements was high (MUAC=0.84, RL=0.96).
Conclusions:
- Parental measurement methods using illustrated instructions and simple tools are reliable and valid for infant anthropometry.
- These methods are suitable for ranking individuals and for group-level analyses, particularly for head circumference in individual assessments.
Abstract:
This study evaluates the reliability and validity of parental measurements of infant size, using illustrated instructions and simple measuring tools. Following pilot tests, final methods were evaluated on a sample of 28 parents (26 mothers and 2 fathers) of infants from 1 to 6 weeks of age. Parents independently measured twice the infant's head circumference (HC), mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), abdominal circumference (AC), and recumbent length (RL). Infants were also measured twice by a trained observer. Mean parental measures were correlated (intraclass R) with the observer criterion measures at the levels of 0.81 for RL, 0.70 for AC, 0.80 for MUAC, and 0.94 for HC. Relative differences in the means for measurements obtained by parents and the trained observer were small, ranging from 0.3% for HC and RL, to 3.8% for AC. Intraclass correlations of reliability between the two parental measurements ranged from R = 0.84 for MUAC to 0.96 for RL. Given the reliability and validity of the results, the methods tested yield measurements that are suitable for ranking individuals and for use in group-level analyses, and at least in the case of head circumference, for individual-level analyses.