title: Reproducibility of self-reported pap test utilization in middle-aged African-American women.
abstract: Both clinicians who perform Pap tests and prescribe re-screens and public health officials, who periodically evaluate the success of Pap test screening programs, often depend on women to self-report their most recent Pap test. However, reliability of self-reported Pap test utilization is putatively low, and even lower in African-American women compared to Whites. Between 2001 and 2002, Pap test screening histories were obtained from 144 African-American women, aged 45 to 64 years at two in-person interviews conducted three to six weeks apart. Reproducibility of self-reported Pap test was substantial (kappa=0.64; 95% confidence interval: .46-.82), with the highest agreement among women with greater income and educational attainment, and those who were younger. This level of reproducibility is likely sufficient both to evaluate the population coverage of public health screening programs and for prescribing re-screens among younger African-American women and those of higher income and education. Not using self-reports to base clinic decisions may still be prudent among those with less education.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community and Family Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA. hoyo0001@mc.duke.edu
authors.forename: Cathrine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hoyo
authors.forename: Truls
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ostbye
authors.forename: Celette S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Skinner
authors.forename: Kimberly S H
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Yarnall
authors.forename: Jaspreet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chowdhary
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008875:Middle Aged; D009657:North Carolina; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*