A procedure to correct proxy-reported weight in the National Health Interview Survey, 1976–2002

Data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) show a larger-than-expected increase in mean BMI between 1996 and 1997. Proxy-reports of height and weight were discontinued as part of the 1997 NHIS redesign, suggesting that the sharp increase between 1996 and 1997 may be artifactual.We merged NHIS data from 1976-2002 into a single database consisting of approximately 1.7 million adults aged 18 and over. The analysis consisted of two parts:...