Validity of Self ‐Reported Height and Weight to Derive BMI in Adults Participating in Special Olympics

The objectives of this study were to determine the validity of self‐reported height, weight, and derived body mass index (BMI), and to determine the diagnostic accuracy of derived BMI to identify overweight and obesity. Self‐reported height and weight were collected from 40 adult Special Olympics participants. The validity of self‐reported height and weight was determined by comparing them to measured height and weight. The differences between self‐reported and measured height, weight, and derived BMI were not significantly different; however, these findings were derived from results with wide confidence intervals. A high percentage of study participants correctly classified themselves as overweight/obese (sensitivity = 92.9%). This exploratory study encourages self‐reports and inclusion of individuals with ID in epidemiological studies, but requires further examination with a larger sample.
Source: Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities - Category: Disability Authors: Tags: Brief Research Report Source Type: research