title: Validity over time of self-reported anthropometric variables during follow-up of a large cohort of UK women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In prospective epidemiological studies, anthropometry is often self-reported and may be subject to reporting errors. Self-reported anthropometric data are reasonably accurate when compared with measurements made at the same time, but reporting errors and changes over time in anthropometric characteristics could potentially generate time-dependent biases in disease-exposure associations.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a sample of about 4000 middle-aged UK women from a large prospective cohort study, we compared repeated self-reports of weight, height, derived body mass index, and waist and hip circumferences, obtained between 1999 and 2008, with clinical measurements taken in 2008. For self-reported and measured values of each variable, mean differences, correlation coefficients, and regression dilution ratios (which measure relative bias in estimates of linear association) were compared over time.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For most variables, the differences between self-reported and measured values were small. On average, reported values tended to be lower than measured values (i.e. under-reported) for all variables except height; under-reporting was greatest for waist circumference. As expected, the greater the elapsed time between self-report and measurement, the larger the mean differences between them (each P < 0.001 for trend), and the weaker their correlations (each P < 0.004 for trend). Regression dilution ratios were in general close to 1.0 and did not vary greatly over time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reporting errors in anthropometric variables may result in small biases to estimates of associations with disease outcomes. Weaker correlations between self-reported and measured values would result in some loss of study power over time. Overall, however, our results provide new evidence that self-reported anthropometric variables remain suitable for use in analyses of associations with disease outcomes in cohort studies over at least a decade of follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Richard Doll Building, Old Road Campus, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7LF, UK. lucy.wright@ceu.ox.ac.uk.
authors.forename: F Lucy
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.affiliation: Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Richard Doll Building, Old Road Campus, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7LF, UK. jane.green@ceu.ox.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Green
authors.affiliation: Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Richard Doll Building, Old Road Campus, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7LF, UK. gill.reeves@ceu.ox.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Gillian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Reeves
authors.affiliation: Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Richard Doll Building, Old Road Campus, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7LF, UK. pa.valerie.beral@ceu.ox.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Beral
authors.affiliation: Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Richard Doll Building, Old Road Campus, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7LF, UK. ben.cairns@ceu.ox.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Benjamin J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Cairns
mesh_terms: D049628:Body Size / Q000502:physiology*; D001837:Body Weights and Measures / Q000379:methods*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D057566:Self Report; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom