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Intra- and interexaminer reliability of anthropometric measurements of term infants
T S Johnson1, J L Engstrom, D K Gelhar
1Department of Maternal-Child Nursing, College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago 60612, USA.
Insights
This study assessed the reliability of infant anthropometric measurements. Weight and head circumference were found to be the most reliable, while length and mid-arm circumference showed the least reliability.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neonatal Care
- Anthropometry
Background:
- Reliability of anthropometric measurements in term infants requires further investigation for clinical and research applications.
- This study aimed to evaluate the consistency of various anthropometric measurements.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the intra- and interexaminer reliability of weight, head circumference, chest circumference, abdominal circumference, mid-arm circumference, and length measurements in term infants.
- To provide data on measurement consistency for clinical practice and research.
Main Methods:
- A convenience sample of 50 clinically stable term infants was assessed.
- Two examiners performed six anthropometric measurements twice, with randomized order and masked results.
- Blank tape measures were used for all measurements.
Main Results:
- Intraexaminer mean absolute differences varied by measurement, with smaller differences generally observed within the same examiner.
- Interexaminer mean absolute differences also varied, indicating consistency between different examiners.
- Weight and head circumference exhibited the smallest differences, suggesting higher reliability.
Conclusions:
- Intraexaminer reliability was generally higher than interexaminer reliability, except for weight.
- Weight and head circumference are the most reliable anthropometric measures in term infants.
- Length and mid-arm circumference demonstrated the lowest reliability, suggesting caution in their use.
Background:
The reliability of anthropometric measurements of term infants has not been studied sufficiently to determine if these measurements are reliable enough to be used in clinical practice and research. This study described the intra- and interexaminer reliability of the following anthropometric measurements: weight (WT), head circumference (HC), chest circumference (CC), abdominal circumference (AC), mid-arm circumference (MAC), and length.
Methods:
A convenience sample of 50 clinically stable term infants was studied. Two examiners obtained the six measurements twice using blank tape measures. The order of examiners was randomized and the examiners were masked to their own and the other examiners' measurements.
Results:
The intraexaminer mean absolute differences were as follows: WT = 1.88, 3.28 g; HC = 0.29, 0.29 cm; CC = 0.50, 0.78 cm; AC = 0.71, 0.77 cm; MAC = 0.36, 0.39 cm; length = 0.92, 1.18 cm. The interexaminer mean absolute differences were as follows: WT = 1.94, 1.66 g; HC = 0.37, 0.36 cm; CC = 0.59, 0.72 cm; AC = 0.99, 0.77 cm; MAC = 0.41, 0.57 cm; length = 1.57, 1.47 cm.
Conclusions:
These findings indicate that intraexaminer differences tended to be smaller than interexaminer differences for all measures except weight, which remained stable for intra- and interexaminer comparisons. These findings also suggest that weight and head circumference were the most reliable measures, whereas length and mid-arm circumference were the least reliable measures.