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The reliability of telephone interviews compared with in-person interviews using memory aids
Linda S Cook1, Jennifer L White, Gavin C E Stuart
1Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. cook@ucalgary.ca
Annals of Epidemiology
|August 23, 2003
Summary
Telephone interviews with memory aids are reliable for collecting detailed health history, comparable to in-person interviews. This method effectively gathers reproductive and exposure information.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Public Health Research Methods
Background:
- Telephone interviews are often comparable to in-person interviews.
- The efficacy of extensive memory aids in telephone interviews remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the reliability of telephone interviews versus in-person interviews using identical questionnaires and memory aids.
- To assess the effectiveness of extensive memory aids in telephone-based data collection.
Main Methods:
- 103 women (aged 25-69) completed both telephone and in-person interviews.
- Interviews were separated by at least four weeks.
- Memory aids included life event calendars, cue lists, and worksheets.
Main Results:
- High agreement (kappa/weighted kappa) observed for parity (1.00), menopausal status (0.95), and surgical history (0.98).
- Excellent agreement (intraclass correlation) for duration variables like oral contraceptive use (0.98) and hormone replacement therapy (0.98).
- Good agreement for age at menarche (0.76) and family cancer history (0.90).
Conclusions:
- Telephone interviews utilizing extensive memory aids provide reliable detailed exposure information.
- This method demonstrates good to excellent agreement with in-person interviews.
- Telephone interviews are a viable alternative for collecting comprehensive health data.