Evaluation of reports of periconceptual occupational exposure: maternal-assessed versus industrial hygienist-assessed exposure.
BACKGROUND
While the number of women entering the work force has grown, so has the importance of investigating occupational reproductive hazards. The objective of this study was to examine the concordance between maternal-assessed and industrial hygienist-assessed exposure to four classes of occupational agents - video display terminals, paints, solvents, and agricultural chemicals.


METHODS
Case (n=87) and control (n=102) mothers who participated in a population-based study of orofacial clefts provided occupational histories and exposure (yes/no) to selected classes of agents for the one-year period prior to their child's delivery. Two industrial hygienists reviewed the occupational histories and assigned mothers an exposure status for each class of agent. Using industrial hygienist-assessed exposure as the "gold standard", sensitivity and specificity of maternal reports were calculated for each class of agent. Kappa statistics were calculated for the study population to account for chance agreement between the two exposure assessment methods.


RESULTS
Sensitivity estimates for cases were the highest for video display terminals (77%) and lowest for agricultural chemicals (14%). Respective estimates for controls were 74% and 14%. Specificity estimates tended to be high for both groups. Kappa values ranged from 0.16-0.45.


CONCLUSIONS
With regard to the classes of agents examined, these data suggest screening questions alone may not be the preferred method of obtaining occupational exposure histories, even when the time period of interest is fairly short and recent.
Bauer
E P
EP
Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City 52242-1000, USA.
Romitti
P A
PA
Reynolds
S J
SJ
D000328:Adult; D016573:Agrochemicals / Q000009:adverse effects; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000209:etiology*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000209:etiology*; D016288:Computer Terminals; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009035:Mothers; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D016272:Occupational Health; D010150:Paint / Q000009:adverse effects; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D012997:Solvents / Q000009:adverse effects; D013997:Time Factors
D016573:Agrochemicals; D012997:Solvents