Biostatistics Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Biostatistics, including details on statistics, uncertainty, probability, modeling.

Self-report overestimates true height loss: implications for diagnosis of osteoporosis.

Birrell F, Pearce MS, Francis RM, Parker L

Department of Rheumatology, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, 4th Floor, Cookson Building, UK. Fraser.Birrell@ncl.ac.uk

The Newcastle Thousand Families birth cohort dates from 1947; assessments have included height measurement at 22 and 50 years, when height loss was also assessed by self-report. A total of 388 attended for 50-year review of bone health, of whom 57 reported a median height loss of 2.5 cm, and 8 reported height loss of >3.5 cm. However, of 24 subjects for whom true height loss could be calculated, 7 had gained height, 9 were unchanged and only 8 had lost height since age 22 years. Self-report leads to over-reporting of height loss, and therefore should not be the sole measure of height loss. In clinical practice, objective confirmation of reported height loss should be undertaken, wherever possible, prior to further investigation.

Published 26 October 2005 in Clin Rheumatol, 24(6): 590-2.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2005-2008 Biostatistics Research Today. All Rights Reserved.