The main purpose of the present study was to assess the quality of information about occupational history obtained via retrospective interview questions. This assessment is achieved by linking interview data from the Swedish survey of Living Conditions (ULF) with occupational information about the same individuals obtained from a number of censuses. This has been done for the census years 1960, 1970, 1975 and 1980. In both ULF and the census, occupations have been classified according to the Nordic Occupational Classification (NYK). Both data sources contain errors. There are also differences in definitions and measurement procedures. Still, the survey question on occupational history gives results of good quality in terms of agreement with census data. This is especially the case for coarse levels of the classification scheme (NYK 1-digit level). The agreement is somewhat lower for the comparisons farthest back in time.
1. Koskela R-S, Kolari, PJ, Järvinen E, Korhonen, H. Completeness of occupational history and occurrences of work-related diseases. Scand J Work Environ Health, 1984; 10: 455–9.
2.
2. Schumacher MC. Comparison of occupation and industry information from death certificates and interviews. Am J Public Health, 1986; 76: 635–7.
3.
3. Bourbonnais R, Meyer F, Theriault G. Validity of self reported work history. Br J Industrial Med, 1988; 45: 29–32.
4.
4. Illis, WR, Swanson GM, Satariano ER, Schwartz, AG. Summary measures of occupational history: A comparison of latest occupation and industry with usual occupation and industry. Am J Public Health, 1987; 77: 1532–4.
5.
5. Rosenstock L, Logerfo J, Heyer NJ, Carter WB. Development and validation of a self-administered occupational health history questionnaire. J Occup Med, 1984; 26: 50–4.
6.
6. Stewart WF, Tonascia JA, Matanoske GM. The validity of questionnaire-reported work history in live respondents. J Occup Med, 1987; 29: 795–800.
7.
7. Gérin M, Siemiatycki J, Kemper H, Eng B, Bégin, D. Obtaining occupational exposure histories in epidemiologic case-control studies. J Occup Med, 1985; 27: 420–6.
8.
8. Baumgarten M, Siemiatycki J, Gibbs GW. Validity of work histories obtained by interview for epidemiologic purposes. Am J Epidemiol, 1983; 118: 583–91.
9.
9. Shilling L, Brackbill R. Occupational health and safety risks and potential health consequences perceived by U.S. workers, 1985. Public Health Rep, 1987; 102: 36–46.
11. Moss L, Goldstein H, eds. The recall method in social surveys. University of London Institute of Education, 1979.
12.
12. Sudman S. Response effects to behaviour and attitude questions. In Wright T, ed. Statistical methods and the improvement of data quality. Orlando: Academic Press, Inc., 1983.
13.
13. Andersen R, Kasper J, Frankel MR, et al. Total survey error. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1979.
14.
14. Bradburn NM. Response effects. Chapter 8 in Rossi PH, Wright JD, Anderson AB, eds. Handbook of survey research. New York: Academic Press, 1983.
15.
15. Cannell CF, Miller PV, Oksenberg L. Research on interviewing techniques. Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, 1981.
16.
16. Jabine T, Straf M, Tanur J, Tourgangeneau, eds. Cognitive aspects of survey methodology: Building a bridge between disciplines. Washington D.C.: National Academy Press, 1984.
17.
17. Mathiewetz NA, Duncan GJ. Out of work, out of mind: Response errors in retrospective reports of unemployment. J of Business and Economic Statistics, 1988; 6: 221–9.
18.
18. Janson C-G. Some problems of longitudinal research in the social sciences. Chapter 2 in Schulsinger F, Mednick SA, Knop J eds. Longitudinal research. Methods and uses in behavioral science. Boston/The Hague/ London: Martinus Nijhoff Publishing, 1981.
19.
19. Janson C.G. Retrospective data, undesirable behavior, and the longitudinal perspective. Paper presented at Workshop on Methodological Issues in Longitudinal Research I: Data and General Design, Rönneberga, Lidingö, Sweden, December, 1987.
20.
20. Thorslund M, Wärneryd B. Methodological research in the Swedish surveys of living conditions. Problems of measurement and data collection. Social Indicators Research.1985; 116: 77–95.
21.
21. Thorslund M, Wärneryd B. Testing/assessing question quality – Some Swedish experiences. J of Official Statistics, 1985; 1: 159–78.
22.
22. Östlin P. Negative health selection into physically light occupations. J Epidemiol Community Health, 1988; 42: 152–6.
23.
23. Östlin P, Thorslund M. Problems with cross-sectional data in research on working environment and health. Scand J Soc Med, 1988; 16: 139–43.
24.
24. Östlin P, Wärneryd B, Thorslund M. Should occupational codes be obtained from census data or from retrospective survey data in studies on occupational health? Submitted for publication.
25.
25. Alfredsson L, Theorell T. Psykosocial arbetsmiljö och hjärtinfarktrisk. Slutrapport av projekt Dnr 81/10744. Arbetarskyddsfonden, 1982. (In Swedish. Psychosocial Work Environment and Myocardial Infarction Risk. Swedish Work Environment fund, Stockholm).
