The impact of technical error of measurement on somatotype categorization
The impact of technical error of measurement on somatotype categorization
Inquiry into somatotype often seeks to assign participants into somatotype groups. The aim of this study was to demonstrate how the intra-tester reliability of anthropometric measures can influence how somatotype is categorized. Sixty-eight physically active males (mean [SD] 24.8 [7.9] y; 79.8 [14.4] kg; 1.81 [0.07] m) had their anthropometric profiles measured and somatotype components calculated. Technical error of measurement (TEM) was used to calculate 95% confidence intervals (CI) for overall somatotype calculation (RTEM) for the data collected by the lead researcher. CIs were further calculated based on the International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry accreditation Level 1 and 2/3 thresholds. Somatotype groups were categorized as either simple (four groups) or detailed (13 groups). RTEM had the smallest TEM values (0.05 somatotype units). Detailed somatotype categorization demonstrated larger potential for misclassification (39.7–72.1%) versus simple categorization (29.4–38.2%). Researchers investigating somatotype should keep technical skill high and group according to the four simple somatotype categories in order to maintain acceptable categorization reliability.
Ryan-Stewart, Helen
5789e26a-c2eb-4df5-8faa-dcb7ee675edc
Faulkner, James
b2bd38c9-667c-42e8-ad1e-6df58d1e3f7a
Jobson, Simon
708be525-2bdb-43a0-a6ee-1dd666347611
17 March 2022
Ryan-Stewart, Helen
5789e26a-c2eb-4df5-8faa-dcb7ee675edc
Faulkner, James
b2bd38c9-667c-42e8-ad1e-6df58d1e3f7a
Jobson, Simon
708be525-2bdb-43a0-a6ee-1dd666347611
Ryan-Stewart, Helen, Faulkner, James and Jobson, Simon
(2022)
The impact of technical error of measurement on somatotype categorization.
Applied Sciences, 12 (6), [3056].
(doi:10.3390/app12063056).
Abstract
Inquiry into somatotype often seeks to assign participants into somatotype groups. The aim of this study was to demonstrate how the intra-tester reliability of anthropometric measures can influence how somatotype is categorized. Sixty-eight physically active males (mean [SD] 24.8 [7.9] y; 79.8 [14.4] kg; 1.81 [0.07] m) had their anthropometric profiles measured and somatotype components calculated. Technical error of measurement (TEM) was used to calculate 95% confidence intervals (CI) for overall somatotype calculation (RTEM) for the data collected by the lead researcher. CIs were further calculated based on the International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry accreditation Level 1 and 2/3 thresholds. Somatotype groups were categorized as either simple (four groups) or detailed (13 groups). RTEM had the smallest TEM values (0.05 somatotype units). Detailed somatotype categorization demonstrated larger potential for misclassification (39.7–72.1%) versus simple categorization (29.4–38.2%). Researchers investigating somatotype should keep technical skill high and group according to the four simple somatotype categories in order to maintain acceptable categorization reliability.
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applsci-12-03056
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Accepted/In Press date: 14 March 2022
Published date: 17 March 2022
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Local EPrints ID: 497486
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/497486
ISSN: 2076-3417
PURE UUID: c356228b-04da-4359-b454-c13a7e83eef1
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Date deposited: 23 Jan 2025 17:49
Last modified: 22 Aug 2025 02:46
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Author:
Helen Ryan-Stewart
Author:
James Faulkner
Author:
Simon Jobson
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