The weakening of differences in effect when self reported information was added to the analysis adds to this argument.
Data were also collected regarding various clinical conditions, which are known to be reliable when self reported [ 21, 22].
However, this is an inaccurate method of identifying smokers, 5 with studies suggesting up to a quarter of pregnant smokers are missed when self reporting is relied on.
If abnormal test results are obtained at baseline when self reported alcohol consumption is at harmful or hazardous levels blood will also be taken at follow-up.
For instance, the presence of mental health constraints was significantly associated with a poorer 'school environment' when self reports were considered, and tended towards poorer 'school environment' when parent reports were used.
37 Stroke events can be difficult to diagnose with certainty, especially when self reported, but detailed medical records including brain imaging were available for more than 80% of adjudicated stroke cases.
Recent work did not find any evidence that people in lower socioeconomic groups were more stoical when self reporting their health than people in higher groups, however the research was limited to Scotland [ 31].
Elicitation of symptoms of depression, however, should logically antecede an appropriate diagnosis; our study demonstrates that when self reported symptoms exists (PHQ-9), physician documentation of each individual symptom is remarkably low.
When self reported data were unclear or missing, we searched medical records (written and electronic) for any episode of contact with any provider in primary or secondary care occurring within 35 days of the date of biopsy.
When self-reports are used to assess social cognitive processes, it is further assumed that people have introspective access to the construct in question (e.g. attitude) and have no intention of distorting their responses.
Among older children there has been some evidence of an association between parent and child PA when self-report measures were used.
