Study Design
Validation of self-reported hypertension, blood pressure, and anthropometry variables in the Nurses’ Health Study 3 Hikaru Morooka* Hikaru Morooka Morooka Morooka Morooka Morooka Morooka Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Self-report measures are simple, cost-effective methods for data collection. We aimed to validate self-reported blood pressure (BP) and anthropometric measures against clinical measures using data from the Chronic Disease Biospecimen Collection (CDBC), a sub-study of the Nurses’ Health Study 3 (NHS3).
From 2022 to 2025, a total of 1,215 CDBC participants visited Quest Laboratories to collect anthropometry data (height, weight, and waist circumference) and BP measurements. Mean age of CDBC participants was 47.6±7.4 years at CDBC visit. Main study questionnaires assessed BP and anthropometric measures (up to 4 years) and height and hypertension (up to 15 years) prior to the CDBC visit. BPs were self-reported in categories of 5 mmHg; hypertension and use of antihypertensive medications were combined to represent ‘ever’ self-report of hypertension. Hypertension at CDBC was defined as BP ≥140/90 mmHg and/or use of anti-hypertensive medications. We calculated correlations, agreement, sensitivity, and specificity of the self-reported variables with the CDBC measured variables. We used paired t-tests to assess differences between measured and self-reported height, weight and waist circumference.
Sensitivity and specificity of self-reported ‘ever’ hypertension were 76.0% and 93.7%. Correlation coefficients of ±5 mmHg adjacent categories for self-reported and measured systolic and diastolic BP were 0.44 and 0.42, while agreement was 53%, and 65%. Correlation coefficients for height, weight, and waist circumference were 0.95, 0.97, and 0.85, respectively. Absolute differences between measured and self-reported height, weight and waist circumference were 0.22 cm, 0.46 kg, and -2.30 cm, respectively.
Self-reported categorical BPs were modestly correlated with clinical measures up to 4 years later. While the sensitivity of hypertension up to 15 years later was modest, specificity remained high. The validity of self-reported height, weight and waist circumference was high.