title: Agreement between self-reports and medical records of cardiovascular disease in octogenarians.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Self-reported health and disease status is a common method used in epidemiologic studies and surveys involving younger populations, but its reliability in octogenarians is unknown. The objective of the present study was to examine the level of agreement between self-reports and medical records on specific cardiovascular diagnoses.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Life and Living to Advanced Age: a Cohort Study in New Zealand recruited 937 octogenarians in New Zealand. Standardized questionnaires were administered to determine sociodemographic status and medical history. Diagnoses of myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, congestive heart failure (CHF), and hypertension were compared between self-reports and two combined sources of medical records.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were moderate levels of agreement between self-reports and medical records for MI, stroke, and hypertension (κ = 0.43-0.45) and low levels for CHF (κ = 0.19). The proportion of discordance for MI, stroke, CHF, and hypertension was 16%, 12%, 22%, and 27%, respectively. Adjusting for socioeconomic-demographic status and cognitive function, the number of comorbidities is highly associated with agreement between self-reports and medical records (P < 0.01). Gender, socioeconomic status, and cognitive function were also related to agreement between self-reports and medical records, but the strength of association was ethnic specific.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Self-reported information on specific cardiovascular conditions has only modest reliability in octogenarians and is associated with number of comorbidities.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. r.teh@auckland.ac.nz
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Teh
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Doughty
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Connolly
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Broad
authors.forename: Avinesh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pillai
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Edlin
authors.forename: Santosh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jatrana
authors.forename: Lorna
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dyall
authors.forename: Ngaire
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kerse
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D057566:Self Report; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Agreement; Cardiovascular disease; Cognitive function; Comorbidity; Elderly; Epidemiology