Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 15, 2025
Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Reliability of Anthropometric Measurement of Young Children with Parent Involvement
Sarah Rae1,2, Eleanor Pullenayegum3, Frank Ong1
1Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Insights
Anthropometric measurements in children are reliable when performed by one trained professional with a parent
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Anthropometry
- Clinical Measurement
Background:
- Accurate anthropometric measurements are crucial for child health monitoring.
- Traditional methods often require two trained anthropometrists, increasing costs and complexity.
- Investigating parent/caregiver involvement can enhance efficiency in primary care settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the reliability of anthropometric measurements in children (0-5 years).
- To compare measurement reliability between a two-anthropometrist team and a single anthropometrist with parent/caregiver assistance.
- To evaluate the feasibility of parent/caregiver involvement in anthropometric data collection.
Main Methods:
- Observational study in a Canadian primary care child research network.
- 120 children aged 0-5 years underwent two sets of measurements.
- Measurements were taken by a two-anthropometrist team and a single anthropometrist with parent/caregiver support.
- Inter- and intra-observer reliability analyzed using technical error of measurement (TEM), %TEM, and coefficient of reliability (R).
Main Results:
- High inter- and intra-observer reliability observed, with %TEM <2% and R >0.99 for length/height and weight.
- Length/height measurements showed high reliability compared to other parameters.
- Slightly greater variation noted in length for infants (<2 years) and arm circumference across age groups.
Conclusions:
- Anthropometric measurements are reliable when conducted by one trained anthropometrist with parent/caregiver assistance.
- Parent/caregiver involvement enhances measurement feasibility, efficiency, and reduces research costs.
- Findings support integrating parents/caregivers into anthropometric data collection in clinical settings.
Abstract:
Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability of anthropometric measurements between two trained anthropometrists working in a team and one trained anthropometrist working with a child's parent/caregiver in a primary health care setting. Study Design: An observational study to determine measurement reliability was conducted in a primary care child research network in Canada. In total, 120 children 0-5 years old had their anthropometric measurement taken twice by two trained anthropometrists working in a team and twice by one trained anthropometrist working with a child's parent/caregiver. Inter- and intra-observer reliability was calculated using the technical error of measurement (TEM), relative TEM (%TEM), and the coefficient of reliability (R). Results: The %TEM values for length/height and weight were <2%, and the R coefficient values were >0.99, indicating a high degree of inter- and intra-observer reliability. The TEM values demonstrated a high degree of reliability for inter- and intra-observer measurement of length/height in comparison with other anthropometric measurement parameters. However, there was greater variation seen in the length measurement for children 0 to <2 years of age and in arm circumference measurement across both age-groups. Conclusion(s): This study suggests that anthropometric measurement taken by one trained anthropometrist with the assistance of a parent/caregiver is reliable. These findings provide evidence to support inclusion of a child's parent/caregiver with anthropometric measurement collection in clinical setting(s) to enhance feasibility and efficiency and reduce the research costs of including a second trained anthropometrist.
