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METHODOLOGIC ISSUES
Measuring injury risk factors: question reliability in a statewide sample
  1. Jane Koziol-McLain1,
  2. David Brand2,
  3. Daniel Morgan2,
  4. Marilyn Leff2,
  5. Steven R Lowenstein3
  1. 1School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, 525 N Wolfe Street, Room 306, Baltimore, MD 21205–2110, USA
  2. 2Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Denver, Colorado
  3. 3Departments of Emergency Medicine, Preventive Medicine and Biometrics, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado
  1. Correspondence to:
 Dr Koziol-McLain
 (e-mail: jkoziol-mclain{at}son.jhmi.edu)

Abstract

Background—Recently (1996–98), Colorado added 15 questions pertaining to injury related risks and behaviors to the behavioral risk factor surveillance system (BRFSS). Questions addressed bicycle helmet use, traffic crashes, exposure to violence, suicidal behavior, and gun storage.

Objective—To measure the test-retest reliability of these injury related questions.

Methods—Of 330 BRFSS participants, 229 (69%) were called a second time and reasked nine selected injury questions. Retests were completed 7–28 days after the original interview.

Results—Test-retest agreement was very high (κ >0.80) for bicycle helmet use, domestic police visits, and gun ownership. All other injury risk questions had substantial agreement (κ >0.60).

Conclusions—The injury related questions added to the Colorado BRFSS have high test-retest reliability.

  • risk factors
  • reproducibility of results
  • health surveys
  • data collection/methods

https://doi.org/10.1136/ip.6.2.148

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