Validity of Self-Reported Height and Weight to Derive BMI in Adults Participating in Special Olympics

Individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) experience high rates of overweight and obesity. Accurate height and weight data is needed to determine overweight and obesity, but direct measurement is not always feasible in large samples. In the general population, overweight and obesity prevalence studies have validated adult self-reported height and weight, but this has not been done for adults with ID. The objectives of this study were to determine the validity of self-reported height, weight, and derived body mass index (BMI), and to determine the diagnostic accuracy of derived BMI to identify overweight and obesity. Self-reported height and weight were collected from 40 adult Special Olympics participants. The validity of self-reported height and weight was determined by comparing them to measured height and weight. The differences between self-reported and measured height, weight, and derived BMI were not significantly different; however, these findings were derived from results with wide confidence intervals. A high percentage of study participants correctly classified themselves as overweight/obese (sensitivity=92.9%). This exploratory study encourages self-reports and inclusion of individuals with ID in epidemiological studies, but requires further examination with a larger sample.