Research in the area of Persian Gulf War Unexplained Illnesses (PGWUI) is h
eavily dependent on self-reports of exposures, The Portland Environmental H
azards Research Center (PEHRC) conducted a population-based case-control st
udy utilizing techniques to measure the magnitude of potential error in sel
f-reports of exposure. While it is impossible to verify most exposures in t
he Persian Gulf War (PGW), results of our study reveal significant overrepo
rting of exposures that can be verified based on the time period served in
the Persian Gulf. Test-retest reliability estimates indicate inconsistency
in frequency and rate of self-reported exposures during the PGW. Unexplaine
d illness in PGW veterans has received much political and scientific attent
ion. Self-reported exposures in surveys returned preceeding and following m
edia reports on particular exposure such as nerve gas or pesticides are pre
sented. These results are useful in the interpretation of findings related
to the PGWUI and in the design of future investigations. (C) 1999 Academic
Press.