Validation of self-reported diabetes in a representative sample of São Paulo city

Abstract

OBJECTIVE To validate the self-reported diabetes mellitus in adults and older adults living in the city of São Paulo, Brazil.METHODS We have used data of 569 subjects (284 adults and 285 older adults), participants of the population-based cross-sectional study Inquérito de Saúde do Município de São Paulo (Health Survey of São Paulo). Fasting glucose ≥ 7.0 mmol/L (126 mg/dL) and/or use of drugs (oral hypoglycemic and/or insulin) defined the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. We have validated the self-reported diabetes mellitus by calculating the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values, and negative predictive values. We have used Poisson regression with robust variance to verify the factors associated with the sensitivity of the self-reported datum. For all analyses, we have considered the sample design of the study.RESULTS The sensitivity of self-reported diabetes mellitus was 63.8% (95%CI 49.2–76.3), specificity was 99.7% (95%CI 99.1–99.9), positive predictive value was 95.5% (95%CI 84.4–98.8), and negative predictive value was 96.9% (95%CI 94.9–98.2). The correct reporting of diabetes mellitus was more prevalent among older adults (PR = 2.0; 95%CI 1.2–3.5) than among adults.CONCLUSIONS The use of the datum of self-reported diabetes mellitus is valid, especially among older adults living in the city of São Paulo. The results highlight the need to track diabetes mellitus in asymptomatic subjects who have one or more risk factors for it, mainly in the adult population of this city.

Anthropometric patterns of adiposity, hypertension and diabetes mellitus in older adults of Viçosa, Brazil: A population‐based study

“…29,30 Second, the crosssectional study design, thus, causal relationships cannot be concluded. First, use of self-reported DM and hypertension.…”

“…However, the literature shows that self-reported DM and hypertension is valid, especially in older adults. 29,30 Second, the crosssectional study design, thus, causal relationships cannot be concluded.…”

“A body shape index” and its association with arterial hypertension and diabetes mellitus among Brazilian older adults: National Health Survey (2013)

“…Among the limitations of this study, its cross-sectional nature should be emphasized because it does not allow the establishment of a temporal relationship between variables, which may have led to skewed interpretations, especially in cases where the existence of chronic conditions may have altered lifestyle habits and, consequently, the body composition of older adults. Another aspect that should be highlighted is the use of self-reported information for chronic conditions, which may have introduced information bias in the study, although previous research has already demonstrated the validity of this method 42,43,44,45 . In addition, the comparability of our results with other studies should consider that only the population of older adults was included, with a higher prevalence of the investigated chronic diseases, while the majority of studies conducted to date included the adult population.…”

Probability and amounts of yogurt intake are differently affected by sociodemographic, economic, and lifestyle factors in adults and the elderly—results from a population-based study

“…show that self-reported information is valid to estimate the prevalence of these conditions in the general population [38,39]. …”