Reliability of percentage ideal weight for height.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the reliability of percentage ideal weight for height (%WFH) as a measure in children.


METHODS
Forty two dietitians calculated %WFH of six children. Eleven of the 42 repeated the calculations.


RESULTS
Interexaminer estimates varied by 16.5 to 40 percentage points (mean 27.8). Intraexaminer variability was also large.


CONCLUSIONS
%WFH is an unreliable measure of nutritional status.
Poustie
V J
VJ
Institute of Child Health, Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital, Alder Hey, Liverpool L12 2AP, UK.
Watling
R M
RM
Ashby
D
D
Smyth
R L
RL
D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D015588:Observer Variation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results