Self-Measured vs Professionally Measured Waist Circumference.

Purpose: Although waist circumference can provide important metabolic risk information, logistic issues inhibit its routine use in outpatient practice settings. We assessed whether self-measured waist circumference is sufficiently accurate to replace professionally measured waist circumference for identifying high-risk patients.

Methods: Medical outpatients and research participants self-measured their waist circumference at the same visit during which a professionally measured waist circumference was obtained.