Self-reported asthma was biased in relation to disease severity while reported year of asthma onset was accurate

The aims of the study were to assess the accuracy of self-reported asthma and notified year of asthma onset. The study was performed on a sample of 365 subjects, 18–60 years old, with clinically diagnosed onset of asthma between 1983 and 1986. All subjects were investigated 10 years later, in 1996,...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of clinical epidemiology 2006, Vol.59 (1), p.90-93
Main Authors: Torén, Kjell, Palmqvist, Mona, Löwhagen, Olle, Balder, Barbro, Tunsäter, Alf
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Age of Onset
Asthma
Asthma - diagnosis
Asthma - epidemiology
Asthma - physiopathology
Bias
Biological and medical sciences
Bronchial Hyperreactivity - physiopathology
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma
Confidence intervals
Disclosure
Disease
Epidemiology
Family physicians
Female
General aspects
Humans
Incidence
Logistic Models
Logistics
Male
Medical sciences
Methodology
Middle Aged
Pneumology
Predictive value
Prevalence
Public health. Hygiene
Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine
Questionnaire
Questionnaires
Raynaud disease
Severity of Illness Index
Smoking - adverse effects
Studies
Surveys and Questionnaires
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The aims of the study were to assess the accuracy of self-reported asthma and notified year of asthma onset. The study was performed on a sample of 365 subjects, 18–60 years old, with clinically diagnosed onset of asthma between 1983 and 1986. All subjects were investigated 10 years later, in 1996, with a respiratory questionnaire about the items of asthma and year of onset. The material was analyzed with logistic regression models. Of the 289 subjects who returned the questionnaire, asthma was reconfirmed in 251 subjects. In a logistic regression model, asthma severity was significantly associated with confirmation of asthma. The median difference between the “true” year of onset and the reported year 10 years later, the recall period was zero, with a 10th to 90th interpercentile range of –2 to 6 years. The recall period was not associated with asthma severity, bronchial hyperresponsiveness, smoking, atopy, or sex. Self-reported asthma is biased in relation to disease severity, meaning that subjects with mild disease were less prone to report their asthma. Reported year of asthma onset among adults seems to be rather accurate, with no obvious dependent misclassifications.
ISSN:0895-4356
1878-5921
DOI:10.1016/j.jclinepi.2005.03.019