Smoking behavior among casino employees: Self-report validation using plasma cotinine

The veracity of behavioral self-reports is often challenged, particularly w hen the motivation to avoid stigma and win social approval holds potential to introduce bias into the data collected. This study employed plasma cotin ine tests to validate the self-reports of tobacco use collected from 3,841 casino employees as part of a comprehensive health survey. Rates of discord ance were calculated by comparing employee self-reports with results from p lasma cotinine tests. This study provides evidence that casino employees ca n provide valid self-report data. Further. discordance rates of self-report ed tobacco use vary according to operational definitions of tobacco use. Th ese findings highlight the methodological importance of recognizing the inh erent heterogeneity of smoking behavior. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd.