Open AccessReliability and agreement of a novel portable laser height metre
Author(s) -
Gustav Valentin Blichfeldt Sørensen,
Johannes Riis,
Mathias Brix Danielsen,
Jesper Ryg,
Tahir Masud,
Stig Andersen,
Martin Grønbech Jørgensen
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0231449
Subject(s) - intraclass correlation , inter rater reliability , limits of agreement , intra rater reliability , standard error , reliability (semiconductor) , reproducibility , mathematics , coefficient of variation , statistics , orthodontics , nuclear medicine , medicine , confidence interval , physics , rating scale , power (physics) , quantum mechanics
Background Human height is a simple measure with great applicability. Usually, stadiometers are used to measure height accurately. However, these may be impractical to transport and expensive. Therefore, we developed a portable and low-cost laser height metre (LHM). Objective We aimed to (1) determine intrarater and interrater reliability of our LHM and compare it to a wall-fixed stadiometer, (2) examine its agreement with the same stadiometer, and (3) determine the minimum number of recordings needed to obtain an accurate and reliable height measurement using the LHM. Methods We recruited 32 participants (18+ years)–both men and women. Two raters performed assessments on the same day blinded to each other and their reference standard measurements. We calculated intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), coefficient of variation (CV), standard error of measurement (SEM), and Bland-Altman plots with limits of agreement (LOA). Results For both the LHM and stadiometer, we found ICC values of 0.99–1.00 (95% CI: 0.997–1.000) for both intrarater and interrater reliability. Regarding LHM intrarater reliability, SEM, CV, and LOA were 0.34 cm, 0.16%, and -1.07 to 0.73 cm, respectively. In terms of LHM interrater reliability, SEM, CV, and LOA were 0.27 cm, 0.12%, and -0.32 to 0.84 cm, respectively. As to agreement with stadiometers using one measurement, the mean difference was -0.14 cm and LOA ranged from -0.81 to 0.77 cm. Conclusion A portable and low-cost LHM, for measuring body height once, showed an excellent reproducibility within and between raters along with an acceptable agreement with a stadiometer thereby representing a suitable alternative.