Elsevier

Annals of Epidemiology

Volume 7, Issue 6, August 1997, Pages 396-399
Annals of Epidemiology

Original report
Reliability of proxy reports of parental smoking by elementary schoolchildren

https://doi.org/10.1016/S1047-2797(97)00045-8Get rights and content

Abstract

PURPOSE: To investigate the reliability of reports of parental smoking by elementary schoolchildren aged 9–13 years, and to identify the correlates of disagreement between student proxy and parent self-reports.

METHODS: As part of the evaluation of a school-based heart health promotion program, data on parental smoking status were collected from 1240 student-mother pairs and 898 student-father pairs.

RESULTS: Agreement for parental smoking status was 93.1% among student-mother pairs and 86.4% among student-father pairs. Among student-mother pairs, reports by students aged 9 years were more likely to disagree with mothers' self-reports than those of older children (odds ratio (OR) = 3.1). Among student-father pairs, the only significant correlate of disagreement was living in a single-parent family headed by the mother (OR = 2.6).

CONCLUSIONS: Children 10-years or older can provide reliable reports of the smoking status of cohabiting parents.

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This research was conducted as part of the Projet Québécois de Démonstration en Santé du Coeur (PQDSC). The PQDSC is funded by the National Health Research and Development Program, Health Canada (grant no. 66063754-H), the Quebec Ministry of Health and Social Services, and the Quebec Heart and Stroke Foundation. The members of the PQDSC coordinating committee are: R. Lessard, B. Lachance, G. Paradis, L. Potvin, J. Pelletier, J. Moisan, L. Renaud, J. O'Loughlin, F. Filiatrault, M.N. Nguyen, and L. Bertrand.

1

Jennifer O'Loughlin is a National Health Research Scholar.

2

Lise Renaud is Chercheur-Boursier of the Conseil Quebecois de la Recherche Sociale.

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