TY - JOUR
T1 - Validation of birth certificate data
T2 - A study of women in New Jersey's healthstart program
AU - Reichman, Nancy E.
AU - Hade, Erinn M.
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by grant 5R01-HD-35301 from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, P30HD32030 from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and the Office of Population Research, Princeton University. They would also like to thank the library and support staff at the Office of Population Research, and Germán Rodriguez.
PY - 2001
Y1 - 2001
N2 - PURPOSE: This study assesses the accuracy of 1989-1992 birth certificate data from New Jersey for a group of high-risk women. METHODS: Birth records were linked to data on women who participated in HealthStart, a program of enriched prenatal care for pregnant women on Medicaid. Concordance was assessed for all variables common to the two data sets. RESULTS: The birth records had accurate reporting of birth-weight, demographic characteristics, and most methods of delivery. Prenatal care use was over-reported, and alcohol, tobacco, transfer status, medical risk factors, obstetric procedures, as well as complications of labor and delivery were underreported. CONCLUSIONS: While many variables are reported very accurately on birth certificates, other measures must be used cautiously. Analyses using birth certificate data, particularly those focusing on high-risk women, need to take the low levels of sensitivity for many risk factors into consideration.
AB - PURPOSE: This study assesses the accuracy of 1989-1992 birth certificate data from New Jersey for a group of high-risk women. METHODS: Birth records were linked to data on women who participated in HealthStart, a program of enriched prenatal care for pregnant women on Medicaid. Concordance was assessed for all variables common to the two data sets. RESULTS: The birth records had accurate reporting of birth-weight, demographic characteristics, and most methods of delivery. Prenatal care use was over-reported, and alcohol, tobacco, transfer status, medical risk factors, obstetric procedures, as well as complications of labor and delivery were underreported. CONCLUSIONS: While many variables are reported very accurately on birth certificates, other measures must be used cautiously. Analyses using birth certificate data, particularly those focusing on high-risk women, need to take the low levels of sensitivity for many risk factors into consideration.
KW - Birth certificates
KW - High risk pregnancies
KW - Validity
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U2 - 10.1016/S1047-2797(00)00209-X
DO - 10.1016/S1047-2797(00)00209-X
M3 - Article
C2 - 11248582
AN - SCOPUS:0035114146
SN - 1047-2797
VL - 11
SP - 186
EP - 193
JO - Annals of Epidemiology
JF - Annals of Epidemiology
IS - 3
ER -