A reliability assessment of four-quadrant weight-scale measurements.

Michael R. Wiles, BSc, DC, FCCS(C)tInstrumentation such as the four-quadrant weight scaleis used routinely in chiropractic practice. However, areview of the literature suggests that very little has beendone to statistically evaluate this instrumentation alongsuch basic parameters as reliability and/orvalidity.This study evaluates a four-quadrant weight scale interms of form-associated and time-associated reliability.Theresults indicate that foranygivensubjectatleast fourdistinct weightdeterminationsshouldberecordedwithinafifty second time frame. It is suggested that the meanofthe weight determinations be calculated for clinical use.The instrumentation used in this study takes its incep-tion for the most part from the work of Dr.