ARE SELF-REPORTED DISEASES PLAUSIBLE AND RELIABLE - PROBLEMS OF ESTIMATING PREVALENCES OF MYOCARDIAL-INFARCTION WITH THE QUESTIONNAIRE-DATAOF THE GERMAN-NATIONAL-HEALTH-SURVEY

With the data of the German National Health Survey the question is dis cussed, if self-reports on diseases, gained in a survey, are useful fo r estimating prevalences within the German population. Self-reports on myocardial infarction serve as an example for examining the reliabili ty and plausibility of such data. The prevalence rate for myocardial i nfarction in this survey is compared with prevalence rates of other da ta sources as the MONICA-register and surveys. Because these other dat a sources have some problems and deficits according to their validity too, the value of self-reports on diseases from the National Health Su rvey is seen positively for establishing a health reporting system.