Evaluating the Validity of Reported and Actual Anthropometrics Among College Students

Background: A common limitation in nutrition research is that participants self-report their height and weight. There have been many studies conducted to prove if this is a true limitation, but the college population has not been studied enough. The objective of this study was to determine whether college-aged students have a tendency to over-report or underreport their height and weight. Design: This quantitative study was targeted toward college students with a randomized sample with hopes to generalize to the population. It consisted of a seven-question survey followed by the measurement of each participant’s height and weight. The data was then analyzed using spreadsheets and line graphs to observe accuracy of self-reported anthropometrics among genders. Results: The majority of both males and females accurately reported their weight within one pound. The majority of males and females also accurately reported their height within one inch. Conclusions: The hypothesis that females underreport their weight and males over-report their height was not supported by the data. Therefore, it is unclear if self-reported anthropometrics are a research limitation when dealing with the college population