Accuracy of self-reported anthropometric measures in older Australian adults

Abstract

Aim: To determine the accuracy of self-reported anthropometric measurements in older Australian adults 60–70 years. Method: Self-reported anthropometric data from 103 community-dwelling participants (mean age 66 years) were compared with actual measurements. Difference and agreement were assessed using paired t-tests, correlation coefficients and Bland–Altman plots. Results: Underreporting occurred for weight and hip circumference, especially among men, whereas waist circumference was slightly overreported, resulting in apparent underestimations of body mass index (by 0.42 kg/m2) but overestimations of waist-to-hip ratio (WHR, by 0.02). Concordance correlation coefficients were generally high except for WHR. Self-reported circumference measures appeared to be more accurate than the derived WHR. The Bland–Altman plots revealed wide limits of agreement for all measures. Conclusion: Self-reported values correlated well with measured values and average discrepancies were small. However, use of self-reported anthropometric data may be preferable in population studies for describing overall distribution than for monitoring changes at an individual level.