Accuracy of Parents' Self-Reported Heights
Author Information
Author(s): Braziuniene Ieva, Wilson Thomas A, Lane Andrew H
Primary Institution: State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY, USA
Hypothesis
Parents cannot be relied upon to accurately report their own heights.
Conclusion
Many parents significantly overestimate their heights, which affects the calculation of mid-parental target height for their children.
Supporting Evidence
- 50% of fathers and 58% of mothers reported their height within ± 2 cm of their measured height.
- 15% of fathers and 12% of mothers were inaccurate by more than 4 cm.
- 70% of MPTH calculated by reported heights fell within ± 2 cm of MPTH calculated using measured heights.
Takeaway
Parents often guess their heights wrong, which can lead to confusion about how tall their kids should be.
Methodology
Parents were questioned and then measured by a pediatric endocrinologist over nine months.
Potential Biases
Parents may have overestimated their heights due to lack of familiarity with measurement systems.
Limitations
The study did not measure heights of parents who were not present during the visit.
Participant Demographics
315 subjects from 241 families, including 98 fathers and 217 mothers.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p < 0.0001 for paternal height difference, p = 0.0004 for partner-reported height.
Confidence Interval
95% CI ± 2.0 for MPTH calculated using measured heights.
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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