Interobserver error in a large scale anthropometric survey
- 1 January 1992
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Wiley in American Journal of Human Biology
- Vol. 4 (2), 253-263
- https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.1310040210
Abstract
The adverse effects of interobserver error on morphometric population comparisons are well documented in the literature. While interobserver error can rarely be avoided, it can be minimized by having a single individual locate and mark relevant landmarks, by limiting the number of observers for each variable, and by reviewing repeated measures data daily to catch and correct measurer drift during data collection. In this study, two pairs of experts participated in interobserver error trials designed to pre-set observer error limits for use in the quality control of a large scale anthropometric survey. Repeatability data were also collected twice daily in the field and reviewed with the measurers. Interobserver errors obtained in the field were lower than those achieved by the experts for 27 of 30 dimensions. These results suggest that establishment of permissible interobserver error in advance of data collection and frequent review of repeated measurements during data collection can reduce the magnitude of interobserver error below that obtained by experts measuring in a laboratory setting. However, even differences of small magnitude can be serios when they are directional, and 17 of 30 dimensions exhibited statistically significant bias between measurers despite all quality control efforts. The magnitudes of interobserver error observed in this study have proven particularly useful in evaluating the biological relevance of statistically significant differences which are of relatively small magnitude.Keywords
This publication has 11 references indexed in Scilit:
- A New, Old Method for Assessing Measurement Error in Both Univariate and Multivariate Morphometric StudiesSystematic Zoology, 1990
- THE SECOND NATIONAL HEALTH AND NUTRITION EXAMINATION SURVEY 1976%1980American Journal of Epidemiology, 1989
- Measuring measuring errorsStatistics in Medicine, 1989
- Reliability of anthropometric methods and replicate measurementsAmerican Journal of Physical Anthropology, 1989
- MEASUREMENT ERROR AND ITS IMPACT ON PARTIAL CORRELATION AND MULTIPLE LINEAR REGRESSION ANALYSES1American Journal of Epidemiology, 1988
- Intra‐ and interobserver concordance in classifying dental morphologyAmerican Journal of Physical Anthropology, 1986
- A possible pitfall in the morphometric application of discriminant analysis: measurement biasMarine Biology, 1986
- Errors of Measurement for Methods of Recumbent Nutritional Anthropometry in the ElderlyJournal of Nutrition For the Elderly, 1985
- Intra- and interobserver error in craniometry: A cautionary taleAmerican Journal of Physical Anthropology, 1982
- A univariate and multivariate examination of measurement error in anthropometryAmerican Journal of Physical Anthropology, 1974