[A reliability study of pediatric somatometric determinations and the level of agreement between 4 observers].
OBJECTIVE
Given the great importance given at present to determining anthropometric measurements as an indicator of child health, and its general use in primary care, this study aimed to find how reliable the measurements by four nurses at a health centre were. The measurements' internal concordance, and thus the weight of the observer on the values found, was studied.


METHODS
Analytical study of validation of infants' anthropometric measurements.


METHODS
Urban Health Centre, Valencia.


METHODS
37 children, selected at random by a draw from those attending the programme for overseeing child development.


RESULTS
Four nurses, using the methods of measurement normally followed at the Virgen de la Fuensanta Health Centre, consecutively determined weight, height and cephalic perimeter of the children. The analyses of variance of the anthropometric measurements for the observer showed no statistically significant differences. The calculation of the greatest discrepancy between observers regarding the mean of the values displayed no quantitatively important discrepancies, either.


CONCLUSIONS
High consistency was found in the concordance of the somatometric measurements, as far as technique goes. This means that trained staff can find good indicators of child development and health, even when the staff taking the measurements alternate.
Ruiz Rojo
E
E
Centro de Salud Virgen de la Fuensanta, Hospital Universitario Dr. Peset, Valencia.
Morales Suárez Varela
M M
MM
Tomás Saura
I
I
González Sala
T
T
Peris Veintimilla
M T
MT
Domingo Cebrián
M E
ME
D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000886:Anthropometry; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006257:Head / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D011897:Random Allocation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013030:Spain
Estudio de la fiabilidad de las determinaciones somatométricas infantiles, nivel de coincidencia entre 4 observadores.