Reliability of Self-Reported Body Height and Weight of Adult Japanese Women

The purpose of this study was to validate the self-reported body height and weight of adult Japanese women. The subjects were women, aged 20-42 years, who participated in a survey on eating disorders in women in 1995. Physically measured height and weight data were obtained for 368 (89.8%) of the 469 women who self-reported their height and weight. The report-based heights and weights were compared with the measured values. The correlation coefficients for height and weight were 0.990 and 0.963 (p < 0.0001), respectively. Mean reported height was 0.1 cm shorter and mean reported weight 0.2 kg lighter than the measured values. Shorter women tended to report a taller height than their actual height, and heavier women to report a lower weight than their actual weight. Despite these limitations, the self-reported heights and weights of adult Japanese women were precise and accurate, and their use in epidemiological surveys is considered acceptable.