Recall bias did not affect perceived magnitude of change in health-related functional status

Middel, Berrie; Goudriaan, Heike; de Greef, Mathieu; Stewart, Roy; van Sonderen, Eric; Bouma, J.; de Jongste, Mike

doi:10.1016/j.jclinepi.2005.08.018

« Previous Next »Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
Volume 59, Issue 5 , Pages 503-511, May 2006

Recall bias did not affect perceived magnitude of change in health-related functional status

Berrie Middel
- Department of Health Sciences, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 196, 9700 AD Groningen, The Netherlands
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +31-50-3636504; fax: +31-50-3633059.
Heike Goudriaan
- Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement, Leiden, The Netherlands
Mathieu de Greef
- Institute of Human Movement Sciences, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
Roy Stewart
- Department of Health Sciences, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 196, 9700 AD Groningen, The Netherlands
Eric van Sonderen
- Northern Center for Healthcare Research, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
J. Bouma
- Northern Center for Healthcare Research, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
Mike de Jongste
- Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

Accepted 30 August 2005. published online 15 March 2006.

Abstract

Background and Objective

It was hypothesized that within an invasively treated group and within a group that improved in angina pectoris no difference in effect size would occur between prospective and retrospective measures. Furthermore, it was hypothesized that assessment of perceived change at post-test may be invalid because of recall bias and present-state bias.

Study Design and Setting

Effect sizes (as standardized response means) were used as indicators of magnitude of change. Linear structural equation analysis (with LISREL) was used to investigate the relationship between the estimates of recall accuracy and retrospectively assessed change.

Results

No significant differences were found between prospective and retrospective measures of change over time in health-related functional status. Recall bias was not associated with retrospective measurement of change within a 12-week interval. An expected present-state effect was found in a structural equation model.

Conclusion

Prospective and retrospective indices of magnitude of change were similar between groups receiving treatment of known efficacy. Recall bias seems to be an acceptable risk in short-term follow-up studies.

Keywords: Health status indicators, Responsiveness, Prospective change, Heart failure, Retrospective change, Clinically relevant change, Effect size, Recall bias, Present-state bias