Open AccessQuestionnaire reliability and validity for aluminum potroom workers.
Author(s) -
Johny Kongerud,
J R Vale,
Odd O. Aalen
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of work, environment and health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.621
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1795-990X
pISSN - 0355-3140
DOI - 10.5271/sjweh.1838
Subject(s) - cohen's kappa , reliability (semiconductor) , kappa , asymptomatic , medicine , psychology , questionnaire , validity , physical therapy , clinical psychology , psychometrics , surgery , statistics , power (physics) , physics , linguistics , philosophy , quantum mechanics , mathematics
As a part of a study on the respiratory symptoms of aluminum potroom workers, the reliability of a self-administered questionnaire and an interview questionnaire was studied with the use of 261 and 49 employees, respectively. The validity of the self-administered questionnaire (134 persons examined) and the interview questionnaire (90 persons examined) was assessed in a comparison of the statements with the case histories. The reliability of the self-administered questionnaire was fairly high, the kappa coefficient ranging from 0.58 to 0.83, while the reliability of the interview questionnaire varied from -0.03 to 0.45. The same pattern was present with regard to validity, as the self-administered questionnaire showed the highest mean sensitivity, specificity, and agreement in a comparison with the case histories. The self-administered questionnaire seemed to discriminate well between symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals, whereas supplemental information about symptoms, as obtained by a standardized interview questionnaire, appeared to be less valid.