TABLE 3.
Intra-method reliability (typically test-retest) for sunburns and artificial UV use
| Measurement of exposure | Author & year |
Population (n) | age/ location |
Interval between tests |
Reliability* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Artificial UV tanning | ||||||
| Ever (Yes, no) “Have you ever used a sunlamp, tanning lamp or sunbed in order to get a tan?” |
Beane Freeman, 2005 (8) |
Melanoma cases and colorectal controls; Self-administered questionnaire; Caucasian only. (n=76) |
age 40+ Iowa, USA |
2-4 weeks |
Cases: Controls: Both: |
1.00 0.71 0.83 |
| Ever (Yes, no) Indoor tanning use |
Pichon, 2005 (14) |
Female college students (convenience samples); Telephone interview. (n=32) |
age 18-19 USA |
1 week | Sample | 1.00 |
| Frequency (Often, rather often, seldom, stopped using, never used) “How often do you use a sunbed?” |
Branstrom, 2002 (7) |
Swedish nurses in 2000; Self administered questionnaire. (n=52) |
age 24-59 Sweden |
3 weeks | Sample | 0.82 |
| Ever (yes, no), # times (Never, 1-10 times, > 10 times) “Have you ever used or do you ever use sunbeds? If yes, number of times per year? |
Westerdahl, 1996 (3) |
Swedish women; Self administered questionnaire. (n=670) |
age 29-68 in 1994 Sweden |
1-3 years | Sample | 0.73 |
| # times in last 12 months (open-ended) Estimate of frequency of tanning salon use in general during the past year |
Hillhouse, 2000 (15) |
Male & female college students; Selfadministered questionnaire. (n=197) |
college students SE city, USA |
2 weeks | Sample | г=0.95 |
| Childhood Sunburns | ||||||
| # before age 14 (0, 1–2, 3–5, 6+, don’t know) “# of sunburns so severe to produce blisters or pain lasting 2 days or longer” |
Beane Freeman, 2005 (8) |
Melanoma cases and colorectal controls; Self-administered questionnaire; Caucasian only. (n=76) |
age 40+ Iowa, USA |
2-4 weeks |
Cases: Controls Both: |
0.77 0.68 0.73 |
| Ever before age 16 (yes, no) First sunburn before 16 years of age |
Rosso, 2002 (5) |
Random sample from basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma cases and population controls. (n=236) |
age 20-70 Italy, Spain, France |
18-26 months |
Cases: Controls: Controls:Both: |
0.65 0.69 0.67 |
| Adolescent Sunburns | ||||||
| # between age 14-18 (0, 1–2, 3–5, 6+, don’t know) # of sunburns so severe to produce blisters or pain lasting 2 days or longer |
Beane Freeman, 2005 (8) |
Melanoma cases and colorectal controls; Self-administered questionnaire; Caucasian only. (n=76) |
age 40+ Iowa, USA |
2-4 weeks |
Cases: Controls: Both: |
0.67 0.67 0.67 |
| Adult or recent Sunburns | ||||||
| # after age 18 (0, 1–2, 3–5, 6+, don’t know) # of sunburns so severe to produce blisters or pain lasting 2 days or longer |
Beane Freeman, 2005 (8) |
Melanoma cases and colorectal controls; Self-administered questionnaire; Caucasian only. (n=76) |
age 40+ Iowa, USA |
2-4 weeks |
Cases: Controls: Both: |
0.73 0.78 0.69 |
| Ever, # after age 19 (If yes, 0, 1-5, >5) “Have you ever been sunburned causing erythema and pain for a few days? If yes, how many times after age 19?” |
Westerdahl, 1996 (3) |
Swedish women; Self administered questionnaire. (n=670) |
age 29-68 in 1994 Sweden |
1-3 years | Sample | 0.54 |
| # in past year (> 10 times, 6-10 times, 3-5 times, 1-2 times, none, haven’t sunbathed) “How many times have you been sunburnt (redness and smarting pain) during the past year in Sweden?” |
Branstrom, 2002 (7) |
Swedish nurses in 2000; Self administered questionnaire. (n=52) |
age 24-59 Sweden |
3 weeks | Sample | 0.52 |
| Lifetime Sunburns | ||||||
| Ever (Yes, No) “Have you ever been sunburned severely enough to cause pain for 2 or more days or blisters?” |
Berwick, 1995 (4) |
Random sample of melanoma cases and population controls; Caucasian only. (n=82) |
age 20-87 Connecticut (USA) |
1-3 years | Ever: Cases: Controls: |
0.37 0.57 |
| # during lifetime (0,1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) “How many times have you been sunburned severely enough to cause pain for 2 or more days or blisters?” |
# sunburns: Cases: Controls: |
r=0.69 r=0.59 |
||||
| # during lifetime (0, 1–2, 3–5, 6–10, >10) Sunburn history, scored |
Glanz, 2003 (9) |
Waiting room sample from primary care practices in March 1999; Excluded those being treated for skin cancer; 72-77% Caucasian subjects. (n=165) |
age 20-65 Hawaii & New York (USA) |
4 weeks | Sample | 0.77 |
| # per year (0, 1-2, 3+) “When you sunbathe do you get sunburned? If yes, how many times per year?” |
Westerdahl, 1996 (3) |
Swedish women; Self administered questionnaire. (n=670) |
age 29-68 in 1994 Sweden |
1-3 years | Sample | 0.52 |
| # during lifetime (continuous) # of Sunburns |
Rosso, 2002 (5) |
Random sample from basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma cases and population controls. (n=236) |
age 20-70 Italy, Spain, France |
18-26 months |
Cases: Controls: Both: |
г=0.19 г=0.39 г=0.25 |
| # during lifetime (categorical: 0, 1, 2, 3+) # of Sunburns |
Cases: Controls: Both: |
0.42 0.44 0.43 |
||||
| # during lifetime (never; once;2-5; 6-10, >10) Lifetime burns |
Van der mei, 2006 (10) |
Multiple sclerosis cases and community controls; Interviewer-administered questionnaire. (n=104) |
age <60 Tasmania |
11 weeks | Cases: Controls: |
0.73 0.61 |
| Lifetime frequency (every year, sometimes but not every year, a few times, never, I have never sunbathed) “How often have you been sunburnt (redness and smarting pain) in Sweden during your whole lifetime?” |
Branstrom, 2002 (7) |
Swedish nurses in 2000; Self administered questionnaire. (n=52) |
age 24-59 Sweden |
3 weeks | Sample | 0.58 |
| # during lifetime (0, 1-2, 3-10, 11+) # of lifetime painful sunburns # during lifetime (0, painful burn only, 1-2, 3+) Lifetime blistering sunburns |
English, 1998 (6) |
Case control study of non-melanocytic skin cancer; Subjects were born in Australia, with European ancestry but not southern European ancestors. (n=190) |
age 40-64 Western Australia |
5 years (1988 & 1993) |
# painful burns: Controls: 0.46 # blistering burns: Controls: 0.47 |
|
*
Cohen’s Kappa (K) unless otherwise specified as a correlation coefficient (r)