title: Development of a postal health status questionnaire to identify people with dyspepsia in the general population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop and validate a postal health status questionnaire which will identify people with dyspepsia in the general population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Validation against telephone interview and post re-post determination of reliability.
  
  
  METHODS
  A general practice population in the north of England.
  
  
  METHODS
  A random sample of adults aged 20-69 years inclusive chosen from the general population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Validity has been checked against telephone interview. A kappa statistic has been calculated for each question and clinical category.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with interview the questionnaire is a valid, comprehensive and easily understood record of symptomatology. The kappa statistics (mean value 0.92) indicate a very reliable questionnaire.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The questionnaire accurately and reliably identifies people with dyspeptic symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Health Care, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011177:Postal Service; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires