title: Sex and ethnic differences in validity of self-reported adult height, weight and body mass index.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Describe self-reported and measured height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) stratified by sex and ethnicity in the United States, explore ethnic variations in the likelihood of under-reporting BMI, and investigate pathways linking race/ethnicity to the underassessment of BMI.
  
  
  METHODS
  An observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The entire United States.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were from the 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a nationally representative sample of non-institutionalized civilian Americans.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Objectively measured and subjectively reported BMI.
  
  
  METHODS
  Independent variables include race/ethnicity (non-Hispanic Whites, non-Hispanic Blacks, Hispanics, and others), sex, age groups (age 20-29, 30-49, 50-69, and > or =70), marital status (currently married vs other marital categories), education (less than high school, high school graduate or equivalent, some college, college graduate or above), and poverty income ratio (PIR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  This study confirmed that the use of reported BMI led to underestimates of the population prevalence of overweight and obesity due to the general tendency towards over-reporting height and under-reporting weight. Women were more likely than men to under-report BMI. And whites were more likely than Blacks and Hispanics to under-report BMI. Other factors positively associated with higher likelihood of under-reporting of BMI included overweight and obese weight status, aged > or =60 years, and college education. Among women, family income was an additional positive covariate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results from this study underscore the need for frequently monitoring ethnic differences in validity of reported BMI and highlight the care which needs to be taken in making comparisons across sociodemographic groups based on reported BMI.
authors: Department of Sociology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. ming.wen@soc.utah.edu
authors: Ming
authors: M
authors: Wen
authors: Lori
authors: L
authors: Kowaleski-Jones
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D003710:Demography; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors; D014481:United States