The Implications of Self-Reported Body Weight and Height for Measurement Error in BMI

We designed an experiment to explore the extent of measurement error in body mass index (BMI), when based on self-reported weight and height. find that there is a systematic age gradient reporting BMI, while limited evidence associations with gender, education income. This reassuring for use BMI studies it as outcome, example, analyse socioeconomic gradients obesity. However, our results suggest complex structure non-classical depending both individuals' within-household peers' true BMI. may bias data regressor. Common methods mitigate using predictions from corrective equations do not fully eliminate heterogeneity associated individual Overall, presence highlights importance collecting measured height large social science datasets.