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Reproducibility of a self-administered questionnaire for assessment of melanoma risk

Westerdahl, J LU ; Anderson, H LU ; Olsson, Håkan LU orcid and Ingvar, C LU (1996) In International Journal of Epidemiology 25(2). p.245-251
Abstract

BACKGROUND: The reproducibility of a self-administered questionnaire on different epidemiological variables was examined in a random sample of a cohort of healthy women from the South Swedish Health Care Region. An identical questionnaire has previously been used for assessment of melanoma risk, in a population-based, matched, case-control study from the same region.

METHODS: Repeat questionnaires were completed on two occasions, 1-3 years apart, by 670 randomly selected subjects. In addition, exposure data from a case-control study were used to estimate the effect of misclassification.

RESULTS: Overall, there was a fair to good consistency between the answers on the two occasions for the various epidemiological variables.... (More)

BACKGROUND: The reproducibility of a self-administered questionnaire on different epidemiological variables was examined in a random sample of a cohort of healthy women from the South Swedish Health Care Region. An identical questionnaire has previously been used for assessment of melanoma risk, in a population-based, matched, case-control study from the same region.

METHODS: Repeat questionnaires were completed on two occasions, 1-3 years apart, by 670 randomly selected subjects. In addition, exposure data from a case-control study were used to estimate the effect of misclassification.

RESULTS: Overall, there was a fair to good consistency between the answers on the two occasions for the various epidemiological variables. Exposure variables identified as risk factors for melanoma development were reasonably reproducible. The estimated proportion of agreement, A, ranged from 0.74 to 0.92, the average correct classification rate (assuming common sensitivity and specificity), pi, was > or = 0.85 and the kappa coefficient, kappa, ranged between 0.52 and 0.83. However, the question on number of raised naevi on the arm was an exception since it had a lower test-retest reliability (A = 0.62, pi = 0.77, kappa = 0.40). When using data from the case-control study, the effect of the estimated random misclassification was found to only slightly bias odds ratios toward one.

CONCLUSION: Our questionnaire, used for assessment for melanoma risk, provided information with fair to good test-retest reliability, and corrected odds ratios were found to be only slightly higher than observed odds ratios.

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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Bias (Epidemiology), Case-Control Studies, Cohort Studies, Female, Humans, Melanoma, Middle Aged, Odds Ratio, Population Surveillance, Reproducibility of Results, Risk Factors, Sensitivity and Specificity, Skin Neoplasms, Surveys and Questionnaires, Sweden
in
International Journal of Epidemiology
volume
25
issue
2
pages
245 - 251
publisher
Oxford University Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:0029869379
  • pmid:9119548
ISSN
0300-5771
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
aef396eb-9034-4590-b05b-4793429b9e61
date added to LUP
2016-09-18 12:52:58
date last changed
2024-04-05 06:27:26
@article{aef396eb-9034-4590-b05b-4793429b9e61,
  abstract     = {{<p>BACKGROUND: The reproducibility of a self-administered questionnaire on different epidemiological variables was examined in a random sample of a cohort of healthy women from the South Swedish Health Care Region. An identical questionnaire has previously been used for assessment of melanoma risk, in a population-based, matched, case-control study from the same region.</p><p>METHODS: Repeat questionnaires were completed on two occasions, 1-3 years apart, by 670 randomly selected subjects. In addition, exposure data from a case-control study were used to estimate the effect of misclassification.</p><p>RESULTS: Overall, there was a fair to good consistency between the answers on the two occasions for the various epidemiological variables. Exposure variables identified as risk factors for melanoma development were reasonably reproducible. The estimated proportion of agreement, A, ranged from 0.74 to 0.92, the average correct classification rate (assuming common sensitivity and specificity), pi, was &gt; or = 0.85 and the kappa coefficient, kappa, ranged between 0.52 and 0.83. However, the question on number of raised naevi on the arm was an exception since it had a lower test-retest reliability (A = 0.62, pi = 0.77, kappa = 0.40). When using data from the case-control study, the effect of the estimated random misclassification was found to only slightly bias odds ratios toward one.</p><p>CONCLUSION: Our questionnaire, used for assessment for melanoma risk, provided information with fair to good test-retest reliability, and corrected odds ratios were found to be only slightly higher than observed odds ratios.</p>}},
  author       = {{Westerdahl, J and Anderson, H and Olsson, Håkan and Ingvar, C}},
  issn         = {{0300-5771}},
  keywords     = {{Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Bias (Epidemiology); Case-Control Studies; Cohort Studies; Female; Humans; Melanoma; Middle Aged; Odds Ratio; Population Surveillance; Reproducibility of Results; Risk Factors; Sensitivity and Specificity; Skin Neoplasms; Surveys and Questionnaires; Sweden}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{245--251}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Epidemiology}},
  title        = {{Reproducibility of a self-administered questionnaire for assessment of melanoma risk}},
  volume       = {{25}},
  year         = {{1996}},
}