© 1996 Oxford University Press
research-article |
Self-Reported Birthweight and History of Having Been Breastfed among Younger Women: An Assessment of Validity
* Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School & Brigham and Women's Hospital 180 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
** Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health Boston, MA, USA.
Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health Boston, MA, USA.
Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School & Brigham and Women's Hospital Boston, MA, USA.
Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health Boston, MA, USA.
BACKGROUND: Recent evidence suggests potential associations between birthweight and infant feeding history and risk of a variety of health outcomes during adulthood. Because studies may rely on self-reported birthweight and infant feeding history, it is important to assess the validity of this information.
METHODS: The authors compared birthweights reported by a sample of 538 women, 27–44 years of age, participating in the Nurses' Health Study II (NHSII) cohort, with birthweights recalled by their mothers and with those from state birth records. In addition, we compared participants' self-reported history of having been breastfed with their breastfeeding history reported by their mothers.
RESULTS: For birthweight, the correlation between reports by the cohort participants and by their mothers was high (Spearman r = 0.75). Compared with weights recorded on state birth records, correlations were 0.74 for reports by cohort participants and 0.85 for reports by their mothers. When comparing NHSII participants' self-report of ever having been breastfed with their mothers' report, sensitivity was 82% and specificity was 86% For duration of breastfeeding, the Spearman correlation between mother and daughter reports was 0.74. In analyses stratified by four ethnic groups (African-American, Asian, Caucasian, and Hispanic) we observed substantial differences in distribution of birthweight and breastfeeding patterns; however, the degree of validity in reporting them was similar.
CONCLUSION: The validity of self-reported birthweight and breastfeeding history by these middle-aged women appears to be high.
Keywords birthweight, recall, self-reported, breastfeeding
Revised 1 April 1995
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  F. Xue, L. A. Hilakivi-Clarke, G. L. Maxwell, S. E. Hankinson, and K. B. Michels Infant Feeding and the Incidence of Endometrial Cancer Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., June 1, 2008; 17(6): 1316 - 1321. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. G. Woo, L. M. Dolan, A. L. Morrow, S. R. Geraghty, and E. Goodman Breastfeeding Helps Explain Racial and Socioeconomic Status Disparities in Adolescent Adiposity Pediatrics, March 1, 2008; 121(3): e458 - e465. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 F. Xue, W. C. Willett, B. A. Rosner, M. R. Forman, and K. B. Michels Parental characteristics as predictors of birthweight Hum. Reprod., January 1, 2008; 23(1): 168 - 177. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. S. Tworoger, A. H. Eliassen, S. A. Missmer, H. Baer, J. Rich-Edwards, K. B. Michels, R. L. Barbieri, M. Dowsett, and S. E. Hankinson Birthweight and Body Size throughout Life in Relation to Sex Hormones and Prolactin Concentrations in Premenopausal Women Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., December 1, 2006; 15(12): 2494 - 2501. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 K. B. Michels, F. Xue, K. L. Terry, and W. C. Willett Longitudinal study of birthweight and the incidence of breast cancer in adulthood Carcinogenesis, December 1, 2006; 27(12): 2464 - 2468. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 E. Ejerblad, C. M. Fored, P. Lindblad, J. Fryzek, J. K. McLaughlin, and O. Nyren Obesity and Risk for Chronic Renal Failure J. Am. Soc. Nephrol., June 1, 2006; 17(6): 1695 - 1702. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. J. Baer, S. J. Schnitt, J. L. Connolly, C. Byrne, W. C. Willett, B. Rosner, and G. A. Colditz Early Life Factors and Incidence of Proliferative Benign Breast Disease Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., December 1, 2005; 14(12): 2889 - 2897. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. A. Bonuck, M. Trombley, K. Freeman, and D. McKee Randomized, Controlled Trial of a Prenatal and Postnatal Lactation Consultant Intervention on Duration and Intensity of Breastfeeding up to 12 Months Pediatrics, December 1, 2005; 116(6): 1413 - 1426. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. R. Cerhan, T. A. Sellers, C. A. Janney, V. S. Pankratz, K. R. Brandt, and C. M. Vachon Prenatal and Perinatal Correlates of Adult Mammographic Breast Density Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., June 1, 2005; 14(6): 1502 - 1508. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 P. Primatesta, E. Falaschetti, and N. R. Poulter Birth Weight and Blood Pressure in Childhood: Results From the Health Survey for England Hypertension, January 1, 2005; 45(1): 75 - 79. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. Mustillo, N. Krieger, E. P. Gunderson, S. Sidney, H. McCreath, and C. I. Kiefe Self-Reported Experiences of Racial Discrimination and Black-White Differences in Preterm and Low-Birthweight Deliveries: The CARDIA Study Am J Public Health, December 1, 2004; 94(12): 2125 - 2131. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. J. Irving, A. C. Shore, N. R. Belton, R. A. Elton, D. J. Webb, and B. R. Walker Low Birth Weight Predicts Higher Blood Pressure But Not Dermal Capillary Density in Two Populations Hypertension, March 1, 2004; 43(3): 610 - 613. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. Sadrzadeh, W.A.J. Klip, F.J.M. Broekmans, R. Schats, W.N.P. Willemsen, C.W. Burger, F.E. van Leeuwen, C.B. Lambalk, and for the OMEGA Project group Birth weight and age at menarche in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome or diminished ovarian reserve, in a retrospective cohort Hum. Reprod., October 1, 2003; 18(10): 2225 - 2230. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 L. Antoniades, A. J. MacGregor, T. Andrew, and T. D. Spector Association of birth weight with osteoporosis and osteoarthritis in adult twins Rheumatology, June 1, 2003; 42(6): 791 - 796. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. Zhao, X. O. Shu, F. Jin, G. Yang, H.-L. Li, D.-K. Liu, W. Wen, Y.-T. Gao, and W. Zheng Birthweight, childhood growth and hypertension in adulthood Int. J. Epidemiol., October 1, 2002; 31(5): 1043 - 1051. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. S. Allen, G. T. H. Ellison, I. dos Santos Silva, B. L. De Stavola, and I. S. Fentiman Determinants of the Availability and Accuracy of Self-reported Birth Weight in Middle-aged and Elderly Women Am. J. Epidemiol., February 15, 2002; 155(4): 379 - 384. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 N.K. Arden, P. Major, J.R. Poole, R.W. Keen, S. Vaja, R. Swaminathan, C. Cooper, and T.D. Spector Size at birth, adult intestinal calcium absorption and 1,25(OH)2 vitamin D QJM, January 1, 2002; 95(1): 15 - 21. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 K. A Dettwyler, W. Holmes, T. Greiner, J. Sikorski, C. Dezateux, A. Holt, I. B Wilkinson, J. R Cockcroft, P. M. Dark, M.-J. Rolli, et al. Duration of breast feeding and adult arterial distensibility BMJ, September 22, 2001; 323(7314): 689 - 689. [Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. B. Michels, D. Trichopoulos, B. A. Rosner, D. J. Hunter, G. A. Colditz, S. E. Hankinson, F. E. Speizer, and W. C. Willett Being Breastfed in Infancy and Breast Cancer Incidence in Adult Life: Results from the Two Nurses' Health Studies Am. J. Epidemiol., February 1, 2001; 153(3): 275 - 283. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. W. Andersson, A. Niklasson, L. Lapidus, L. Hallberg, C. Bengtsson, and L. Hulthen Poor Agreement between Self-reported Birth Weight and Birth Weight from Original Records in Adult Women Am. J. Epidemiol., October 1, 2000; 152(7): 609 - 615. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. W Andersson, A. Niklasson, L. Lapidus, L. Hallberg, C. Bengtsson, and L. Hulthén Sociodemographic characteristics influencing birth outcome in Sweden, 1908-1930. Birth variables in The Population Study of Women in Gothenburg J. Epidemiol. Community Health, April 1, 2000; 54(4): 269 - 278. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
N R Poulter, C L Chang, A J MacGregor, H Snieder, and T D Spector Association between birth weight and adult blood pressure in twins: historical cohort study BMJ, November 20, 1999; 319(7221): 1330 - 1333. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. W. Rich-Edwards, G. A. Colditz, M. J. Stampfer, W. C. Willett, M. W. Gillman, C. H. Hennekens, F. E. Speizer, and J. E. Manson Birthweight and the Risk for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Adult Women Ann Intern Med, February 16, 1999; 130(4_Part_1): 278 - 284. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. R Walker, A. McConnachie, J. P Noon, D. J Webb, and G. C M Watt Contribution of parental blood pressures to association between low birth weight and adult high blood pressure: cross sectional study BMJ, March 14, 1998; 316(7134): 834 - 837. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 G. C. Curhan, G. M. Chertow, W. C. Willett, D. Spiegelman, G. A. Colditz, J. E. Manson, F. E. Speizer, and M. J. Stampfer Birth Weight and Adult Hypertension and Obesity in Women Circulation, September 15, 1996; 94(6): 1310 - 1315. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|