Comparison of next-of-kin with self-respondents regarding questions on cigarette, coffee, and alcohol consumption.
Using the same questionnaire, personnel, and field procedures, we conducted interviews in 1985 with the next-of-kin of 108 deceased study subjects, and with 197 surviving subjects who had been interviewed earlier in a 1980 case-control study. Concordance in response between the two interviews for cigarette smoking, coffee drinking, and alcoholic beverage intake was high, generally 90% or above. Next-of-kin, particularly spouses, provided information as reliable as the self-informants for cigarette smoking and coffee consumption, but showed a somewhat higher discrepancy rate for alcohol drinking. Thus, surrogates, especially spouses, appear to be an accurate source of information in epidemiologic investigations.
McLaughlin
J K
JK
Biostatistics Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892.
Mandel
J S
JS
Mehl
E S
ES
Blot
W J
WJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003069:Coffee / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008910:Minnesota; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors
D003069:Coffee