A practical approach to Bland-Altman plots and variation coefficients for log transformed variables

J Clin Epidemiol. 2008 Oct;61(10):978-82. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2007.11.003. Epub 2008 May 12.

Abstract

Objective: Indicators of reproducibility for log-transformed variables can often not be calculated straightforwardly and are subsequently incorrectly interpreted.

Methods and results: We discuss meaningful Coefficients of Variation (CV) for log-transformed variables, which can be derived directly from the standard error of the log-transformed measurements. To provide easy interpretable Bland and Altman plots, we calculated limits of inter and intraobserver agreement (LA) for log-transformed variables and transform them back to the original scale. These LAs for agreement are subsequently plotted on the original scale in a conventional Bland and Altman plot. Both approaches were illustrated in a clinical example on the reproducibility of skinfold thickness measurements.

Conclusion: In reproducibility, it is important to calculate meaningful CVs, LAs, and Bland-Altman plots for log-transformed variables. We provide a practical approach in which existing statistical methods are applied in the field of reproducibility, thus leading to parameters of reproducibility which can be interpreted on the original scale.

MeSH terms

  • Data Interpretation, Statistical*
  • Humans
  • Observer Variation
  • Reproducibility of Results*
  • Research Design
  • Skinfold Thickness
  • Young Adult