Test-retest reliability of self-reported reproductive and lifestyle data in the context of a German case-control study on breast cancer and postmenopausal hormone therapy.

TY - JOUR

T1 - Test-retest reliability of self-reported reproductive and lifestyle data in the context of a German case-control study on breast cancer and postmenopausal hormone therapy.

AU - Slanger, Tracy

AU - Mutschelknauss, Elke

AU - Kropp, Silke

AU - Braendle, Ludwig-Wilhelm

AU - Flesch-Janys, Dieter

AU - Chang-Claude, Jenny

PY - 2007

Y1 - 2007

N2 - PURPOSE: Studies using survey questionnaires to collect epidemiologic data rely on the accuracy of participants' self-reporting. As part of the quality control protocol for a large population-based case-control study of the association between postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT) and breast cancer in German women (the Mammakarzinom-Risikofaktoren-Erhebung [MARIE] study), the authors used test-retest to evaluate the reliability of women's self-reporting of a number of putative breast cancer risk factors, including HT, reproductive history, family history, and lifestyle. METHODS: Of those women interviewed between November 2002 and July 2003, 62 cases and 61 controls were re-interviewed an average of 10 months later, using a shortened version of the original study questionnaire. RESULTS: Agreement between the first and second interviews was assessed using Cohen's kappa and proportion of agreement. There was very good overall agreement between the two questionnaires for HT ever/never use (kappa = 0.90), type of therapy (kappa = 0.83), and form of application (kappa = 0.73) and good agreement for duration of use (kappa = 0.60). Agreement for other factors ranged from kappa = 1.00 for age at first birth to kappa = 0.43 for weekend bicycle riding. Agreement was nondifferential by disease status. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that the MARIE survey instrument was of good quality and had a low likelihood of misclassification.

AB - PURPOSE: Studies using survey questionnaires to collect epidemiologic data rely on the accuracy of participants' self-reporting. As part of the quality control protocol for a large population-based case-control study of the association between postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT) and breast cancer in German women (the Mammakarzinom-Risikofaktoren-Erhebung [MARIE] study), the authors used test-retest to evaluate the reliability of women's self-reporting of a number of putative breast cancer risk factors, including HT, reproductive history, family history, and lifestyle. METHODS: Of those women interviewed between November 2002 and July 2003, 62 cases and 61 controls were re-interviewed an average of 10 months later, using a shortened version of the original study questionnaire. RESULTS: Agreement between the first and second interviews was assessed using Cohen's kappa and proportion of agreement. There was very good overall agreement between the two questionnaires for HT ever/never use (kappa = 0.90), type of therapy (kappa = 0.83), and form of application (kappa = 0.73) and good agreement for duration of use (kappa = 0.60). Agreement for other factors ranged from kappa = 1.00 for age at first birth to kappa = 0.43 for weekend bicycle riding. Agreement was nondifferential by disease status. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that the MARIE survey instrument was of good quality and had a low likelihood of misclassification.

M3 - SCORING: Zeitschriftenaufsatz

VL - 17

SP - 993

EP - 998

JO - ANN EPIDEMIOL

JF - ANN EPIDEMIOL

SN - 1047-2797

IS - 12

M1 - 12

ER -