The validity of questionnaire reports of a history of acute otitis media

A random sample of 2,512 children with an estimated date of birth between July 1, 1985 and June 30, 1986 was monitored to age 2 years, and infection data based on a questionnaire and medical records were compared to evaluate the validity of questionnaire reports of a history of acute otitis media. The cumulative incidence of acute otitis media up to age 2 years in the questionnaire data was lower than in the record data (47.8 vs. 71.0%, respectively), although the number of episodes per child per year, the incidence rate for recurrent episodes, was considerably higher in the questionnaire data (1.27 vs. 0.93). The amount of acute otitis media was distinctly higher among the children of the nonrespondent parents. Finally, a tendency of questionnaire-based data sampling to damp the associations between various risk factors and acute otitis media is displayed. The results identify possible drawbacks which must be considered when interpreting questionnaire-based assessments of acute otitis media in childhood.