A Comparative Study on Responses to Korean Version Questionaires on Respiratory Symptoms

호흡기계(系) 질환의 역학적(疫學的) 조사방법 개발에 관한 연구(I) -번역설문서 응답양상(應答樣相)에 대한 비교평가-

Korean versions of British Medical Research Council (MRC), Cornell Medical Index(CMI), and American Thoracic Society 78 (ATS-DLD-78) respiratory questionaires were compared with each other, and were tested the stability, in terms of test-retest reliability, of each questions by self-administration of those to 156 medical students. The results obtained and conclusions drawn are as follow: 1. The degree of agreements between responses to the comparable questions of CMI vs MRC, and of CMI vs ATS-DLD-78 were not satisfactory. There were, however, $71{\sim}100$ per cent of agreement between responses to the questions on Cough, Wheezing, Phlegm, Breathlessness, and Chest illness of ATS-DLD-78 vs MRC questionaire. And the ATS-DLD-78 tended to yield greater number of positive responses than MRC (See Table 4). 2. All of the coefficient of stability of each questions in 3 questionaires were statistically significant, ranged $77{\sim}100$ per cent, except that of the question on episode of cough and phlegm in ATS-DLD-78 questionaire (See Table 5-1). The question is composed of two collateral conditions, 'lasting for 3 weeks or more' and 'each year'. 3. It can be insisted that the Section-B questions of CMI is not proper for use in epidemiologic survey on respiratory illness. And rather than MRC, the ATS-DLD-78 questionaire deserves to prefer to be used in epidemiologic studies on respiratory illness. 4. In question-wording, especially, of inquiring past experience, it is possible to lessen the reliability of the question that including collateral conditions such as 'the duration lasted of symptoms', and moreover, of which words are not common usage. For example, for Korean '10days' or 'half a month' is more familiar time unit rather than 'week'.