title: The reliability of self-reports of smoking and alcohol consumption by pregnant women.
abstract: The reliability of self-reports of prepregnancy smoking and drinking habits was assessed in over 700 pregnant smokers who participated in a randomized clinical trial of smoking cessation intervention. The participants provided self-reports of their prepregnancy smoking and drinking habits prior to the 18th week (test) and again in the eighth month of gestation (retest). About half the subjects gave identical reports of prepregnancy smoking habits at test and retest. Among those who changed their estimates, the changes were usually small. The reliability of reports of prepregnancy alcohol intake was also high. The reliability of reports by the treatment group - which experienced an anti-smoking intervention and extensive contact with study personnel - was very similar to that of the control group.
authors.affiliation: University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore.
authors.forename: N L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sexton
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Hebel
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Thompson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D011897:Random Allocation; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*