How Accurate Is Using Parent-Reported Height and Weight for Screening Children and Adolescents for Overweight and Obesity? Meta-Analyses at Both Population and Individual Levels

Abstract

Objective: To explore the accuracy of using parent-reported data for screening children and adolescents with overweight and/or obesity at both population and individual levels by quantitatively synthesizing previous inconsistent findings in the research literature.

Method: PubMed, Web of Science, and EBSCOhost were searched up to December 2017. A study was included if it explored the accuracy of using parent-reported data (i.e., BMI based on parent-reported height and weight; BMIpr) relative to directly measured data (i.e., BMI based on measured height and weight; BMIm) for screening children and adolescents with overweight and/or obesity.

Results: Fourteen studies were identified for the meta-analysis at population level. Using a random-effects model, the use of BMIpr overestimated the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents compared with BMIm, with prevalence ratio = 1.118 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.027-1.216). Thirteen studies were included in the meta-analysis at individual level. The use of BMIpr for screening children and adolescents with overweight and/or obesity showed a pooled sensitivity of 0.713 (95% CI: 0.700-0.726) and a pooled specificity of 0.918 (95% CI: 0.915-0.922). Moreover, subgroup analyses and meta-regressions showed that its accuracy at both levels differed by certain conditions.

Conclusion: Based on the results of the current two meta-analyses, the use of BMIpr was not accurate at either population level or individual level. However, considering that its accuracy varied by certain conditions, future researchers using BMIpr may consider these findings to achieve a more accurate screening of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents.

Keywords: children and adolescents; meta-analysis; overweight and obesity; parent-reported body mass index.