Gonzales FA, et al. - A research was carried out to gauge the effect of question wording on estimates of past year mammography among racially/ethnically diverse women ages 40-49 and 50-74 without a history of breast cancer. This study found trend analyses relying on differently worded questions potentially misleading, and it appeared to conceal disparities.

Methods

• Experts investigated data from one-part ("Have you had a mammogram during the past 12 months?") and two-part ("Have you ever had a mammogram"; "When did you have your most recent mammogram?") mammography history questions administered in the 2008, 2011 and 2013 NHIS.
• In the two survey years compared, Chi-square tests provided estimates of changes in mammography when question wording was either the same (two-part question), or differed (two-part question followed by one-part question).
• The type, extent, and correlates of inconsistent responses to the two questions in 2013 were appraised by crosstabulations and regression models.

Results

• Results revealed  slightly higher reports of past year mammography in years when the one-part question was asked than when the two-part question was asked.
• Moreover, nearly 10% of women provided inconsistent responses to the two questions asked in 2013.
• They noticed higher odds of inconsistent responses in black women ages 50-74 (aOR=1.50, CI 1.16-1.93) and women ages 40-49 in poor health (aOR=2.22, CI 1.09-4.52).
• In addition, women without a usual source of care had lower odds (40-49: aOR=0.42, CI 0.21-0.85; 50-74: aOR=0.42, CI 0.24-0.74).