title: Validity of self-reports of reasons for hospitalization by young adults and risk factors for discordance with medical records: the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study.
abstract: This research focused on the validity of young adults' (mean age=33 years; standard deviation, 3.9) self-reports of reasons for hospitalization and factors affecting validity in a longitudinal cohort study of over 5,000 young adults in four US cities (1985-1998). Self-reported reasons were considered discordant if they differed from those in medical records. Of the 321 self-reported hospitalizations, overall concordance was 92.5%; concordance ranged from 80% for infections to 100% for injuries/fractures and procedures/surgeries. There were no significant differences among mail, telephone, or face-to-face methods of collecting self-reports. In generalized estimating equations analyses, Black race (odds ratio=4.23, 95% confidence interval: 1.72, 10.40; p=0.002) and intravenous drug use (odds ratio=6.06, 95% confidence interval: 1.17, 31.22; p=0.03) were positively associated with discordance. Nonetheless, self-reports by Blacks were 90.0% concordant. Self-reports by Whites were 95.7% concordant. These results suggest that young adults' self-reported reasons for hospitalization are overwhelmingly concordant with medical records. This has important implications, since obtaining medical records has become more costly and logistically difficult.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-0008, USA.
authors.forename: Atiq
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gibney
authors.forename: Sharina D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Person
authors.forename: O Dale
authors.initials: OD
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Catarina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kiefe
authors.forename: Pauline
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jolly
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Roseman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044383:Black People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D012650:Self Disclosure; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001741:Black or African American