Validity of Self-assessment cardiovascular disease risk assessment: Evidence from a population-based study

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Self-risk assessment of these diseases can be a cornerstone of primary prevention programs. This study was designed to investigate the validity of CVD risk assessment based on self-measured data. METHODS: The present study is a population-based descriptive-analytic study in people 30 years and over. A sample of 475 individuals was randomly selected from a general population on the coverage of a comprehensive health center. Data were collected first through an application (self-assessment) and then through standardized measurements by trained personnel. Data analysis was based on paired t-test, ICC, and sensitivity and specificity indices. RESULT: The results of the study showed an overestimation of height and systolic blood pressure and an underestimation of weight, BMI, waist circumference and diastolic blood pressure. However, the findings showed that Self-measurement anthropometric measures had excellent reliability (ICC > 0.90). Self-assessment tools demonstrated good agreement for CVD risk (ICC = 0.79), with high sensitivity (78-89%) and increasing specificity (76-96%) at higher risk thresholds. CONCLUSION: Self-assessment evaluations of 10-year cardiovascular disease risk demonstrate strong validity and reliability. As a result, utilizing Self-assessment data can serve as a practical and suitable method for the early detection of at-risk individuals. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40200-025-01830-2.