International Journal of Epidemiology, Vol 26, S174-S180, Copyright © 1997 by International Epidemiological Association
K Klipstein-Grobusch, T Georg and H Boeing
OBJECTIVE: The extent of intra- and inter-interviewer variability both in
anthropometric measurements and in estimates of body composition was
assessed and the possibility of systematic variation due to interviewer
differences investigated. DESIGN AND SUBJECTS: Seventeen interviewers
trained in the anthropometric measurement technique and 10 healthy
volunteers (4 men, 6 women) participated in the study on measurement
variability. To ensure participation of all interviewers the study was
carried out on three different days. On each of these days interviewers got
randomly allocated to the subjects being present. Each interviewer took 12
measurements--body weight, body height, sitting height, circumferences of
waist, hip, and midarm, skinfolds (biceps, triceps, subscapular, and
suprailiac), chest breath and depth--per subject on two occasions. From
these measurements, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, percentage of body
fat, fat mass, fat free mass and metric index were determined. For all
anthropometric variables variance components, reliability coefficients (R)
and coefficients of variation (CV) were estimated and systematic
differences of measurements between interviewers were assessed. RESULTS:
Measurement reliability in basic anthropometric measures expressed as
variance components, reliability coefficients and coefficients of variation
was influenced to a greater extent by inter-interviewer variability (R:
0.858-0.999; CV: 0.1-20.9) than intra-interviewer variability (R:
0.979-0.999; CV: 0.0-6.4). The respective estimates of body composition
exhibited comparatively higher reliability (Rinter: 0.975-0.999; Rintra:
0.995-0.999). Measurements more prone to subjectivity, e.g. skinfolds
showed lower reliability (CVinter: 9.3-20.9; CVintra: 3.6-6.4). Although
the absolute variation in measures due to interviewers was small,
systematic differences among interviewers were clearly evident in all
measurements and estimates except sitting height in this group of subjects.
CONCLUSION: Anthropometric measures and estimates of body composition
obtained in the current study show the feasibility of detailed
anthropometric data collection by multiple interviewers in large-scale
epidemiological studies.
ARTICLES
Interviewer variability in anthropometric measurements and estimates of body composition
German Institute of Human Nutrition, Potsdam-Rehbrucke, Germany.
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