title: [Validity of Self-reported Hypertension in Chinese Elderly Populations].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the validity of self-reported hypertension and its associated factors in Chinese elderly populations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Self-reported data of 13 610 elderly participants of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study were compared with their actual blood pressure measurements. The sensitivity and specificity of self-reported hypertension were calculated corrected for current medication use. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify individual characteristics that independently predicted the accuracy of self-reports.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, self-reported hypertension had low sensitivity (56. 3%) and high specificity (96.9%). Agreement between self-reported data and medical records was moderate (Kappa= 0. 57). The multivariate analysis identified age, sex, education, financial situation, health service utilization, history of diabetes and types of medical insurance as significant factors that determined the validity of self-reported data.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Self-reporting leads to underestimation of the prevalence of hypertension. The accuracy of self-reporting differs among subpopulations.
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ning
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008499:Medical Records; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015995:Prevalence; D057566:Self Report; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity