Payesh (Apr 2007)
Assessment of the reliability and acceptability of the Uniscale
Abstract
Objective(s): Monitoring childrenchr('39')s weights using an appropriate scale is one practical way of assessing their nutritional status. This study examined the reliability and acceptability of the Uniscale, an instrument used for weighing mothers and children. Methods: This study was conducted from December 2000 to February 2001 within the Savojbolagh District Health System, Iran. In the first part of the study, weights of subjects in three groups were obtained using the Uniscale and compared with weights obtained from the currently used scales (current scales). The sample comprised pregnant women and children under 5 who visited the health centers. The main measure of interest was reliability, assessed by two indicators: intra-instrument error for each of the two types of scales, and inter• instrument error. The second part was a descriptive study to test providerschr('39') (health workerschr('39')) perceptions of the acceptability of Uniscale measurements. The main measure was acceptability, assessed by the frequency of problems with usage of the Uniscale and the recommendations by test providers regarding the use of Uniscale. Results: In the first section, a total of 458 clients participated in the study. Overall, mean values of repeated measurements with the two scales (intra-instrument error) were not significantly different. There was no significant difference between the weight measurements of the two scales (inter-instrument error) when weighing children, but a significant difference was detected when weighing pregnant women (P<0.001). In the second section, 54 providers were included. The proportions of providers who recommended the use of the Uniscale for children under 2 years, children 2-5 years and pregnant women were 5chr('39')71chr('39')/o, 75% and 80%, respectively. Conclusion: The Uniscale had the same accuracy as the current scale when weighing children. However, for use in adults, a repeat study may have to be conducted with better-trained providers because measurements appear to be influenced by individual variation in use. Most providers suggested that the Uniscale is a better choice for pregnant women (adult group) than for children. There seems to be a need for newer, more user friendly versions of the Uniscale. We recommend that new versions of mother-child scales be developed that are more user friendly.
