Observational Study

. 2019 Apr;22(6):1019-1028.

doi: 10.1017/S1368980018003002. Epub 2018 Nov 19.

Accuracy of self-reported weight in the Women's Health Initiative

Affiliations

¹ 1Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics,School of Public Health, Indiana University Bloomington,1025 E. 7th Street, Bloomington, IN 47405,USA.
² 2Health Promotion Sciences, Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health,University of Arizona,Tucson, AZ,USA.
³ 3Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health,Indiana University Bloomington,Bloomington, IN,USA.
⁴ 4Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center,Division of Public Health Science, Seattle, WA,USA.
⁵ 5Division of Preventive Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA,USA.
⁶ 6Department of Sociology, Anthropology, Social Work and Criminal Justice,Oakland University,Rochester, MI,USA.
⁷ 7Wake Forest School of Medicine,Wake Forest University,Winston-Salem, NC,USA.
⁸ 8Division of Nutritional Sciences, College of Human Ecology,Cornell University,Ithaca, NY,USA.
⁹ 9Department of Family Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School,Brown University,Providence, RI,USA.
¹⁰ 11Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health,University at Buffalo School of Public Health and Health Professions,Buffalo, NY,USA.
¹¹ 12HealthPartners Institute,Minneapolis, MN,USA.

PMID: 30449294
PMCID: PMC10260511
DOI: 10.1017/S1368980018003002

Observational Study

Accuracy of self-reported weight in the Women's Health Initiative

Juhua Luo et al. Public Health Nutr. 2019 Apr.

. 2019 Apr;22(6):1019-1028.

doi: 10.1017/S1368980018003002. Epub 2018 Nov 19.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ 1Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics,School of Public Health, Indiana University Bloomington,1025 E. 7th Street, Bloomington, IN 47405,USA.
² 2Health Promotion Sciences, Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health,University of Arizona,Tucson, AZ,USA.
³ 3Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health,Indiana University Bloomington,Bloomington, IN,USA.
⁴ 4Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center,Division of Public Health Science, Seattle, WA,USA.
⁵ 5Division of Preventive Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA,USA.
⁶ 6Department of Sociology, Anthropology, Social Work and Criminal Justice,Oakland University,Rochester, MI,USA.
⁷ 7Wake Forest School of Medicine,Wake Forest University,Winston-Salem, NC,USA.
⁸ 8Division of Nutritional Sciences, College of Human Ecology,Cornell University,Ithaca, NY,USA.
⁹ 9Department of Family Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School,Brown University,Providence, RI,USA.
¹⁰ 11Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health,University at Buffalo School of Public Health and Health Professions,Buffalo, NY,USA.
¹¹ 12HealthPartners Institute,Minneapolis, MN,USA.

PMID: 30449294
PMCID: PMC10260511
DOI: 10.1017/S1368980018003002

Abstract

Objective: To assess the extent of error present in self-reported weight data in the Women's Health Initiative, variables that may be associated with error, and to develop methods to reduce any identified error.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Forty clinical centres in the USA.ParticipantsWomen (n 75 336) participating in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study (WHI-OS) and women (n 6236) participating in the WHI Long Life Study (LLS) with self-reported and measured weight collected about 20 years later (2013-2014).

Results: The correlation between self-reported and measured weights was 0·97. On average, women under-reported their weight by about 2 lb (0·91 kg). The discrepancies varied by age, race/ethnicity, education and BMI. Compared with normal-weight women, underweight women over-reported their weight by 3·86 lb (1·75 kg) and obese women under-reported their weight by 4·18 lb (1·90 kg) on average. The higher the degree of excess weight, the greater the under-reporting of weight. Adjusting self-reported weight for an individual's age, race/ethnicity and education yielded an identical average weight to that measured.

Conclusions: Correlations between self-reported and measured weights in the WHI are high. Discrepancies varied by different sociodemographic characteristics, especially an individual's BMI. Correction of self-reported weight for individual characteristics could improve the accuracy of assessment of obesity status in postmenopausal women.

Keywords: Accuracy; Measured weight; Self-reported weight; Validation.

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Figures

**Fig. 1**
(colour online) Relationship between self-reported and measured weights*, with an overall regression line (), among 75 336 women participating in the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study (WHI-OS). *1 lb=0·454 kg

formula image — **Fig. 1**
(colour online) Relationship between self-reported and measured weights*, with an overall regression line (), among 75 336 women participating in the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study (WHI-OS). *1 lb=0·454 kg

**Fig. 2**
(colour online) Bland–Altman difference plot between self-reported and measured weights*, with an overall regression line (), among 75 336 women participating in the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study (WHI-OS); () represents the line of no difference. *1 lb=0·454 kg

See this image and copyright information in PMC

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Accuracy of self-reported weight in the Women's Health Initiative

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Accuracy of self-reported weight in the Women's Health Initiative

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