[Validation of the anthropometric data reported by parents of participants in the SENDO project]

Area of Science:

• Pediatric epidemiology
• Anthropometry
• Public health research

Background:

• Accurate anthropometric data is crucial for pediatric health monitoring and epidemiological studies.
• Self-reported measurements are often used in large-scale studies due to feasibility but require validation.
• The SENDO project (Follow-up of Children for Optimal Development) collects longitudinal data on child development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the validity of self-reported somatometry data collected via an online questionnaire.
• To compare parent-reported anthropometric measurements with direct physical measurements in a pediatric cohort.

Main Methods:

• Prospective, dynamic pediatric cohort study (SENDO project).
• Comparison of baseline questionnaire data with direct measurements from 82 participants.
• Statistical analysis using intraclass correlation index (ICC) and Bland-Altman coefficient.

Main Results:

• High ICC values for weight (0.96) and height (0.95), indicating strong agreement.
• Moderate to high ICC for waist circumference (0.75) and hip circumference (0.84).
• Acceptable validity for body mass index (ICC=0.84), with Bland-Altman indices ranging from 3.7% to 8.5%.

Conclusions:

• Parent-reported anthropometric data, especially weight and height, demonstrates high validity and concordance with direct measurements.
• Self-reported measures are reliable for use in large-scale epidemiological research, particularly for commonly known measurements.
• The findings support the use of online questionnaires for collecting valid anthropometric data in pediatric cohorts.