Document Type

Article

Source of Publication

PLOS ONE

Publication Date

4-18-2024

Abstract

Self-reported weight and height serve as important metrics in estimating overweight and obesity prevalence within epidemiological studies, primarily due to their cost and time efficiency. However, the accuracy and reliability of these self-reported measures remain controversial, with conflicting reports emerging from different regions. This study aims to compare self-reported weight and height with measured values among young female adults in the United Arab Emirates. A cross-sectional study of 131 female university students aged 17-27 reported their weight and height on a self-administered questionnaire and on the same day had their height and weight measured. Body Mass Index (BMI) values of both self-reported and measured weight and height were calculated and categorized according to the World Health Organization's cut-off points. Overall, 87% of students had a resultant self-reported BMI value within their actual BMI category. The mean differences between self-reported and measured weight and height in the present study were -0.92 kg and 0.38 cm, respectively. Results indicated strong agreement between self-reported and direct measurements, as demonstrated by weighted Kappa statistics (kappa = 0.87). Bland & Altman plots illustrated that the majority of values fell within the limits of agreement (2 SD), with no systemic bias detected. BMI calculated from self-reported data demonstrates high sensitivity and specificity. Linear regression analyses revealed that self-reported weight (r2 = 0.973; p<0.001), height (r2 = 0.902; p<0.001), and BMI (r2 = 0.964; p<0.001) accurately predicted measured weight, height, and BMI. The study's results highlight the ability of female university students in the UAE to accurately provide self-reports of their weight and height. This finding provides further support for the utilization of self-reported data on height and weight as a valid method for collecting anthropometric information.

ISSN

1932-6203

Publisher

Public Library of Science (PLoS)

Volume

19

Issue

4

First Page

e0302439

Last Page

e0302439

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences

Keywords

Self-reported, Anthropometric information, Young female adults, Body Mass Index (BMI), United Arab Emirates

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Indexed in Scopus

no

Open Access

yes

Open Access Type

Gold: This publication is openly available in an open access journal/series

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