Bias in self-reported height and weight in preadolescents

Area of Science:

• Pediatric health
• Anthropometry
• Public health nutrition

Background:

• Accurate anthropometric measurements are crucial for assessing child growth and nutritional status.
• Self-reported data is often used in large-scale studies due to convenience, but its validity in preadolescents is questionable.
• Accurate weight status classification is essential for identifying children at risk for overweight, obesity, or underweight.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the accuracy of self-reported height and weight in preadolescent children.
• To identify factors associated with height and weight misreporting in this age group.
• To assess the reliability of using self-reported data for screening weight status categories (underweight, overweight, obesity).

Main Methods:

• A study involving 798 fourth graders (ages 8-11) compared self-reported height and weight with objectively measured values.
• Body mass index (BMI) was calculated from both self-reported and measured data.
• International age- and sex-specific BMI criteria were used to categorize weight status.

Main Results:

• Preadolescents tended to overestimate height (0.54 ± 5.17 cm) and underestimate weight (0.80 ± 3.09 kg).
• Self-reported BMI was underestimated by 0.47 ± 1.79 kg/m², with overweight/obese children showing greater underestimation.
• Approximately 15% of children were misclassified in BMI categories using self-reported data, particularly those who were underweight or obese.

Conclusions:

• Children aged 8-11 years demonstrate significant inaccuracies in reporting their height and weight.
• Self-reported data leads to erroneous estimation of weight status, impacting the accuracy of childhood obesity and underweight screening.
• Objective measurements are necessary for reliable assessment of weight status in preadolescents.