Estimating occupational health events in workers with asthma or diabetes: a comparison of diary and snapshot methods.
The study was set up to assess the completeness of reporting different types of work-related health events through 6 month and 1 week diaries and telephone questionnaires relating to individual days. Subjects recruited from hospital asthma or diabetic clinics or from surgical day-case units were randomly assigned to either a full participation arm or to one completing only a 6 month diary. Of the 375 study participants, return rates were 68.8% for 6 month diaries, 81.9% for weekly diaries and 86.5% for researcher-administered questionnaires. Significantly higher rates of self-reported poor work performance, symptoms or changes in medication were estimated by snapshot methods (same-day telephone interviews or one-off weekly diaries) than from diaries completed over a 6 month period. Asthmatics and diabetics attending hospital outpatient clinics were no more likely, however, to report work-related health events in the following 6 months than those attending the same hospital for day surgery.
Turner
S
S
Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, Stopford Building, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK. sue.turner@virgin.net
Smedley
J
J
Cherry
N
N
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*