Re. Dales et al., INDOOR AIR-QUALITY AND HEALTH - REPRODUCIBILITY OF RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS AND REPORTED HOME DAMPNESS AND MOLDS USING A SELF-ADMINISTERED QUESTIONNAIRE, Indoor air, 4(1), 1994, pp. 2-7
Citations number
14
Categorie Soggetti
Construcion & Building Technology","Engineering, Civil
To test the reproducibility of a questionnaire previously used to stud
y the association between respiratory symptoms and home dampness/mold,
it was sent to the parents of 1,596 children twice, with an interval
of one month between distributions. A total of 770 respondents complet
ed the questionnaire both times and were entered into an analysis. For
exposure variables, percentages of agreement between the two administ
rations ranged from 87% for visible mold growth in the home to 95% for
basement flooding. Respective kappa scores ranged from 73% to 82%. Pe
rcentage agreements for the adults' symptoms variables ranged from 80%
for upper respiratory symptoms, to 99% for physician-diagnosed asthma
. Percentage agreements for children's symptoms ranged from 81% for up
per respiratory symptoms to 97% for current asthma. For all symptoms k
appas ranged from 59% to 90% indicating moderate to high reproducibili
ty. Future research should nov concentrate on validating the questionn
aire as an indicator of mold growth.