Longitudinal Reliability of Self-Reported Age at Menarche in Adolescent Girls: Variability across Time and Setting

Autor/inn/en	Dorn, Lorah D.; Sontag-Padilla, Lisa M.; Pabst, Stephanie; Tissot, Abbigail; Susman, Elizabeth J.
Titel	Longitudinal Reliability of Self-Reported Age at Menarche in Adolescent Girls: Variability across Time and Setting
Quelle	In: Developmental Psychology, 49 (2013) 6, S.1187-1193 (7 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0012-1649
DOI	10.1037/a0029424
Schlagwörter	Females; Individual Characteristics; Puberty; Research Methodology; Correlation; Research Assistants; Longitudinal Studies; Reliability; Age Differences; Individual Differences; Case Studies; Interviews; Telecommunications; Health Personnel + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Weibliches Geschlecht; Personality characteristic; Personality traits; Persönlichkeitsmerkmal; Pubertät; Research method; Forschungsmethode; Korrelation; Forschungspersonal; Longitudinal study; Longitudinal method; Longitudinal methods; Längsschnittuntersuchung; Reliabilität; Age; Difference; Age difference; Altersunterschied; Individueller Unterschied; Case study; Fallstudie; Case Study; Interviewing; Interviewtechnik; Telekommunikationstechnik; Medizinisches Personal
Abstract	Age at menarche is critical in research and clinical settings, yet there is a dearth of studies examining its reliability in adolescents. We examined age at menarche during adolescence, specifically, (a) average method reliability across 3 years, (b) test-retest reliability between time points and methods, (c) intraindividual variability of reports, and (d) whether intraindividual variability differed by setting or individual characteristics. Girls (n = 253) were enrolled in a cross-sequential study in age cohorts (11, 13, 15, and 17 years). Age at menarche was assessed using 3 annual, in-person clinician interviews followed by 9 quarterly phone interviews conducted by research assistants. Reliability of age at menarche across time was moderate and varied by method. In-person interviews showed greater reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = 0.77) versus phone interviews (ICC = 0.64). Test-retest reliability in reports did not decrease across time. However, average differences in reported age varied as much as 2.3 years (SD = 2.2 years), with approximately 9% demonstrating differences greater than 4.5 years. Pubertal timing category (i.e., early, late) changed for 22.7% if categorized at the final versus the first report of age at menarche. Reliability was moderate, but average differences in reported age were notable and concerning. Using in-person clinician interviews may enhance reliability. Researchers and clinicians should be cognizant of the implications of using different methods measuring age at menarche when interpreting research findings. (Contains 4 tables.) (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10