Accuracy of body mass index based on self-report data among law enforcement cadets

Abstract

BACKGROUND - Height and body mass are often self-reported by study participants. However, the accuracy of this data compared to measured values is limited in tactical trainee populations. This study's purpose was to compare the accuracy of self-reported height and body mass to measured values within a US law enforcement cadet population, and determine how these estimations affected BMI classifications. METHODS - Self-reported and measured body height and body mass for twenty-six (n = 26) male and female cadets (males - age: 31.32 ± 10.04 years; measured height: 178.07 ± 9.87 cm; measured body mass: 92.44 ± 19.37 kg; females - age: 25.67 ± 1.53 years; measured body height: 168.17 ± 4.01cm; measured body mass: 78.94 ± 11.30 kg) were analyzed. RESULTS - Significant differences between estimated and measured height (p < 0.001), body mass (p < 0.05), but not BMI (p = 0.281) were revealed. CONCLUSION - Self-reported body height and body mass were not accurately reported when compared to measured values. However, reported resulted in accurate BMI classifications.

Effects of Occupational Load on the Acceleration, Change of Direction Speed, and Anaerobic Power of Police Officers

“…Body height and body mass data were self-reported after previously described procedures (8,12). Dawes et al (8) showed that self-reported body height and body mass were accurate when compared with measured data, whereas Johnson et al (12) found significant but trivial differences between the reported and measured body mass (1.2%) and body height (0.8%) of police officers. Although measuring the anthropometric characteristics and body composition with more accurate tools would be beneficial, because of time constraints posed by the students' lecture schedule, the researchers were not able to perform these measurements.…”

“…The mean relative load produced by the load 10 kg condition was 11.9 and 16.3% in male and female students, respectively. Body height and body mass data were self-reported after previously described procedures (8,12). Dawes et al (8) showed that self-reported body height and body mass were accurate when compared with measured data, whereas Johnson et al (12) found significant but trivial differences between the reported and measured body mass (1.2%) and body height (0.8%) of police officers.…”

Body composition in Serbian police officers

“…The authors concluded that there was an obvious difference between police officers and the general population of workers in America regarding the professional aspect associated O N L I N E F I R S T with the prevalence for various diseases and health conditions, and that health risk factors were clearly higher in police work. Research on the characteristics of body composition, as part of a continuous system of information gathering, has been carried out in all police forces in the world (Hartley et al, 2011;Garbarino & Magnavita, 2015;Kukić & Dopsaj, 2016;Lockie et al, 2020;Johnson et al, 2020;Kukić et al, 2020;Vuković et al, 2020). In view of the previously mentioned research, there is a strong rationale for focusing on body composition in numerous studies on police personnel.…”