A Validation of Childhood Body Size Assessed by Stunkard Figures with Childhood Photographs in the Young Women?s Health History Study of Breast Cancer
Mentor 1
Ellen Velie
Location
Union Wisconsin Room
Start Date
27-4-2018 1:00 PM
Description
Authors: Sara C. Falline, Sofia Haile, Jennifer M.P. Woo, James M. Groh, Darek R. Lucas, and Ellen M. Velie
The prevalence of obesity has increased dramatically in the United States in recent decades, and is associated with multiple poor health outcomes, including breast cancer. The association between increased body mass index (BMI) in childhood and breast cancer, however, is not well understood. Self-reported Stunkard body size figures — a scale with nine gender-specific body figures — have been used as a proxy for childhood body size. The main objective of this project is to evaluate a novel childhood body size assessment technique where size at age 9 years, based on self-reported Stunkard figures, is validated with childhood photographs. The ultimate goal of this study is to provide a correction factor for self-reported childhood body size using photographs for future research. Study participants are women without breast cancer randomly selected from the Young Women’s Health History Study (YWHHS) (n=48), a socioeconomically diverse, population-based case-control study of breast cancer among non-Hispanic Black and White women age 20-49 years. YWHHS participants provided a childhood photograph and rated their body size on a Stunkard scale at age 9 years. Two evaluators objectively assessed each photo and assigned a Stunkard value. Stunkard values were converted into categories of underweight (1-2), normal weight (3-5), and overweight (6-9). The evaluator’s assessments were averaged and compared to the participants’ self-assessment using Cohen’s Kappa Coefficient. Agreement between evaluator photo-assessed and participant self-reported Stunkard body size of underweight, normal weight, and overweight at age 9 years showed only some agreement (kappa= 0.08), suggesting objective measures may improve self-reported childhood body size. Based on these findings, there is evidence that use of childhood photos may provide a useful correction factor when examining self-reported childhood body size based on Stunkard figures. Future research will examine whether characteristics, such as race or socioeconomic position, differentially affect self-reported childhood body size.
A Validation of Childhood Body Size Assessed by Stunkard Figures with Childhood Photographs in the Young Women?s Health History Study of Breast Cancer
Union Wisconsin Room
Authors: Sara C. Falline, Sofia Haile, Jennifer M.P. Woo, James M. Groh, Darek R. Lucas, and Ellen M. Velie
The prevalence of obesity has increased dramatically in the United States in recent decades, and is associated with multiple poor health outcomes, including breast cancer. The association between increased body mass index (BMI) in childhood and breast cancer, however, is not well understood. Self-reported Stunkard body size figures — a scale with nine gender-specific body figures — have been used as a proxy for childhood body size. The main objective of this project is to evaluate a novel childhood body size assessment technique where size at age 9 years, based on self-reported Stunkard figures, is validated with childhood photographs. The ultimate goal of this study is to provide a correction factor for self-reported childhood body size using photographs for future research. Study participants are women without breast cancer randomly selected from the Young Women’s Health History Study (YWHHS) (n=48), a socioeconomically diverse, population-based case-control study of breast cancer among non-Hispanic Black and White women age 20-49 years. YWHHS participants provided a childhood photograph and rated their body size on a Stunkard scale at age 9 years. Two evaluators objectively assessed each photo and assigned a Stunkard value. Stunkard values were converted into categories of underweight (1-2), normal weight (3-5), and overweight (6-9). The evaluator’s assessments were averaged and compared to the participants’ self-assessment using Cohen’s Kappa Coefficient. Agreement between evaluator photo-assessed and participant self-reported Stunkard body size of underweight, normal weight, and overweight at age 9 years showed only some agreement (kappa= 0.08), suggesting objective measures may improve self-reported childhood body size. Based on these findings, there is evidence that use of childhood photos may provide a useful correction factor when examining self-reported childhood body size based on Stunkard figures. Future research will examine whether characteristics, such as race or socioeconomic position, differentially affect self-reported childhood body size.
