Accuracy of self-reported family history is strongly influenced by the accuracy of self-reported personal health status of relatives

• Published in: Journal of clinical epidemiology Vol. 65; no. 1; pp. 82 - 89
• Main Authors: Janssens, A. Cecile J.W., Henneman, Lidewij, Detmar, Symone B., Khoury, Muin J., Steyerberg, Ewout W., Eijkemans, Marinus J.C., Mushkudiani, Nino, Oostra, Ben A., van Duijn, Cornelia M., Mackenbach, Johan P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.01.2012; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Accuracy; Algorithms; Arterial hypertension. Arterial hypotension; Biological and medical sciences; Blood and lymphatic vessels; Body Mass Index; Cardiology. Vascular system; Data Collection; Diabetes; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - epidemiology; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - genetics; Diabetes. Impaired glucose tolerance; Endocrine pancreas. Apud cells (diseases); Endocrinopathies; Epidemiology; Etiopathogenesis. Screening. Investigations. Target tissue resistance; Families & family life; Family; Family history; Family medical history; Family studies; Female; Genetics; Health risk assessment; Health Status; Health Surveys; Humans; Hypertension; Hypertension - epidemiology; Hypertension - genetics; Internal Medicine; Male; Medical History Taking - statistics & numerical data; Medical sciences; Metabolic diseases; Middle Aged; Netherlands; Obesity; Overweight - epidemiology; Overweight - genetics; Personal health; Risk assessment; Risk Factors; Self Report; Self-report assessment; Sensitivity and Specificity; Studies; Netherlands; Hypertension; Obesity; Accuracy; Self-report assessment; Diabetes; Family history; Endocrinopathy; Self evaluation; Health; Diabetes mellitus; Nutrition disorder; Cardiovascular disease; Family story; Health status; Family environment; Nutritional status
• ISSN: 0895-4356; 1878-5921; 1878-5921
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2011.05.003

We investigated the accuracy of self-reported family history for diabetes, hypertension, and overweight against two reference standards: family history based on physician-assessed health status of relatives and on self-reported personal health status of relatives. Subjects were participants from the Erasmus Rucphen Family study, an extended family study among descendants of 20 couples who lived between 1850 and 1900 in a southwest region of the Netherlands and their relatives (n=1,713). Sensitivity and specificity of self-reported family history were calculated. Sensitivity of self-reported family history was 89.2% for diabetes, 92.2% for hypertension, and 78.4% for overweight when family history based on relatives' self-reported personal health status was used as reference and 70.8% for diabetes, 67.4% for hypertension, and 77.3% for overweight when physician-assessed health status of relatives was used. Sensitivity and specificity of self-reported personal health status were 76.8% and 98.8% for diabetes, 38.9% and 98.0% for hypertension, and 80.9% and 75.7% for overweight, respectively. The accuracy of self-reported family history of diabetes and hypertension is strongly influenced by the accuracy of self-reported personal health status of relatives. Raising awareness of personal health status is crucial to ensure the utility of family history for the assessment of risk and disease prevention.