The inter-tester reliability of anthropometric measurement with portable tools

Abstract

Aim: To determine whether height, weight, body mass index (BMI) and chest width, as measured using portable tools, have adequate inter-tester reliability for use in field-based research. Methodology: Same-day repeated-measures inter-tester reliability study in 15 adolescent swimmers and three testers. Height was taken with a portable stadiometer and weight with a digital floor scale. BMI was calculated using weight in kilograms/height in metres squared. Chest width was measured at the level of the inferior border of the spinous process of T7 at the end of expiration, with an anthropometer. Major findings: The SEMs were 3.8 mm for height, 0.48 kg for weight, 0.22 kg/m2 for BMI and 12.8 mm for chest width. Intra-class coefficients (ICCs) for the anthropometric variables were all above 0.98, except for chest width (0.80). Significant differences between testers for height and chest width existed, but not for weight and BMI. Conclusions: Anthropometric measures that are measured using field-based tools have acceptable inter-tester reliability for use in field-based assessment.