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Validity of self-reported rheumatoid arthritis in elderly women
V L Star1, J C Scott, R Sherwin
1Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA.
Objective:
To determine the validity of a self-reported physician diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in elderly women.
Methods:
Women with self-reported RA were contacted and permission requested to contact their physician. Physicians were mailed a questionnaire requesting information on the subject's arthritic condition. Hand radiographs obtained at study entry were read for changes of RA.
Results:
The self-reported diagnosis of RA could be confirmed in 26 (21%) individuals.
Conclusion:
The positive predictive value of self-reported RA was low in this cohort. Caution needs to be exercised in the use and interpretation of self-report data concerning arthritic conditions in epidemiologic studies.