Design of a questionnaire: occupational and environmental risks for Parkinson's disease

1. Research linking disease with occupational and environmental exposures is often predicated on obtaining accurate exposure information from affected persons. 2. Exposure history questionnaires are used to obtain comprehensive information about work history, residential history, behavioral patterns, and lifetime exposures. 3. The process of questionnaire development includes: establishing the conceptual background of the research; assuring integrity of the research questions; specifying the content domain of the questionnaire; wording, level, and formatting decisions; establishing evidence for questionnaire validity; assessment of questionnaire reliability; and final edit and polishing. 4. The careful and systematic development of an exposure history questionnaire can be a key determinant in the success of occupational health research.