A preliminary study of active compared with passive imputation of missing body mass index values among non-Hispanic white youths
Author
Wagstaff, David A.; Kranz, Sibylle
Abstract
Background: Addressing missing data on body weight, height, or
both is a challenge many researchers face. In calculating the body
mass index (BMI) of study participants, researchers need to impute
the missing data.
Objective: A multiple imputation through a chained equations approach was used to determine whether one should first impute the missing anthropometric data and then calculate BMI or use an imputation model to obtain BMI.
Design: The present study used computer simulation to address the
question of how to calculate BMI when there is missing data on weight and height. The simulated data reflected data gathered on non-Hispanic white youths (n ¼ 905) aged 2–18 y, who participated in the 1999–2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).
Results: The simulation indicated that it made little difference in the accuracy with which the youths’ mean BMIs were estimated when the data were missing completely at random. However, the use of a model to impute BMI was favored slightly when the data were missing at random and the imputation model included the variable used to determine missingness.
Conclusion: The present findings extend the use of passive imputation
and the use of multiple imputation through a chained equations approach to an area of critical public health importance. Am J Clin Nutr 2009;89:1025–30. Originally published American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 89, No. 4, Apr 2009
Subject
Date
2009-04
Citation:
APA:
Wagstaff, David A., & Kranz, Sibylle. (April 2009).
A preliminary study of active compared with passive imputation of missing body mass index values among non-Hispanic white youths.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,
89(4),
1025-
1030. Retrieved from
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/3411
MLA:
Wagstaff, David A., and Kranz, Sibylle.
"A preliminary study of active compared with passive imputation of missing body mass index values among non-Hispanic white youths". American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
89:4. (1025-1030),
April 2009.
April 24, 2024.
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/3411.
Chicago:
Wagstaff, David A. and Kranz, Sibylle,
"A preliminary study of active compared with passive imputation of missing body mass index values among non-Hispanic white youths," American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 89, no.
4 (April 2009),
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/3411 (accessed
April 24, 2024).
AMA:
Wagstaff, David A., Kranz, Sibylle.
A preliminary study of active compared with passive imputation of missing body mass index values among non-Hispanic white youths. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
April 2009;
89(4):
1025-1030.
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/3411. Accessed
April 24, 2024.
Collections
Publisher
East Carolina University