Reliability of Tanner stage assessments in a multi-center study

American Journal of Human Biology : the Official Journal of the Human Biology Council
Mark A EspelandOrah S Platt

Abstract

Tanner stage indices have been frequently used in research studies to characterize the level of sexual maturation among adolescents. The Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell Disease (CSSCD) is a large multi-center study in which the assessment of Tanner stage indices has been performed to describe delays in sexual maturation and correlates of delays. Rigorous training, however, in rating Tanner stages was not provided for the clinicians in the study. Data from the CSSCD were analyzed to characterize the reliability of the assessment of sexual maturation in this study, and demonstrate the potential for increasing the reliability by more careful training. In lieu of a gold standard, a maximum likelihood algorithm was employed to examine the longitudinal consistency of Tanner stage assessments. Based on the assumption that the underlying process of sexual maturation is progressive, models were developed that allowed one to estimate jointly the incidence distribution for the attainment of Tanner stages and the error rates of assessment. Estimated false-positive rates for assessing the attainment of Tanner stages from the CSSCD ranged from 2% to 19%. Estimated false-negative rates ranged from 1% to 18%. The occurrence of these errors wa...Continue Reading

References

May 1, 1977·American Journal of Epidemiology·K T CopelandR H Holbrook
Apr 11, 1975·The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition·W A DanielD L Bennett
Feb 1, 1970·Archives of Disease in Childhood·W A Marshall, J M Tanner
Jun 1, 1969·Archives of Disease in Childhood·W A Marshall, J M Tanner
Jul 5, 1984·The New England Journal of Medicine·O S PlattM A Espeland
May 1, 1980·American Journal of Epidemiology·D QuadeR W Haley

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Citations

Sep 15, 2004·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Dana E WalrathJaroslav Bruzek
Feb 1, 1997·Postgraduate Medical Journal·S Saksena, R K Tandon
Aug 24, 2007·Blood·Sharyne M DonfieldUNKNOWN Hemophilia Growth and Development Study Group
Jun 27, 2009·Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology & Metabolism : JPEM·Eric J SloraRichard C Wasserman

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