Agreement between self-reports, proxy-reports and the National Patient Register regarding diagnoses of cardiovascular disorders and diabetes mellitus in a population-based sample of 80-year-olds

• Abstract Background: cognitive impairment is common among older adults, necessitating the use of collateral sources in epidemiological studies involving this age group. The objective of this study was to evaluate agreement between self- and proxyreports of cardiovascular disorders and diabetes mellitus in a population-based sample of 80-year-olds. Further, both self and proxy-reports were compared with hospital register data. Methods: data were obtained from the Gothenburg H70 Birth Cohort Studies in Sweden. The study had a cross-sectional design and information was collected through semi-structured interviews in 2009–2012 from participants born in 1930 (N = 419) and their proxy informants. The National Patient Register provided diagnoses registered during hospital stays. Agreement was measured with Kappa values (K). Results: agreement between self- and proxy-reports was substantial for diabetes mellitus (K = 0.79), atrial fibrillation (K = 0.61), myocardial infarction (K = 0.75), angina pectoris (K = 0.73) and hypertension (K = 0.62), and fair for intermittent claudication (K = 0.38) and heart failure (K = 0.40). Compared to the National Patient Register, a large proportion of those with a hospital discharge diagnosis were also self- and proxy-reported. Conclusions: proxy informants can be an important source of information, at least for well-defined conditions such as myocardial infarction, angina pectoris and diabetes mellitus.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Annan medicin och hälsovetenskap -- Gerontologi, medicinsk/hälsovetenskaplig inriktning (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Other Medical and Health Sciences -- Gerontology, specialising in Medical and Health Sciences (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa, socialmedicin och epidemiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Dementia

Proxy-informants

Cardiovascular disease

Ageing

Agreement

Older people

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)