Self-report Screening Research Articles

Factors associated with self-reported anal cancer screening history in men who have sex with men

MSM were recruited to participate in a study to assess the feasibility of teaching self and partner anal examinations as a means of screening for anal cancer. Data for this secondary analysis were obtained using a written pre-test and a computer-assisted self-interview. Factors associated with screening were assessed with multivariable logistic regression to allow calculation of adjusted odds ratios (aORs). Of the 197 participants with data, 145 (73.6%) reported having had anal cancer screening (either anal cytology, DARE or both) during their lifetime. Men who were younger, Black and HIV-negative were associated with decreased odds of reporting any type of anal cancer screening. For example, compared with White men, Black men were 80% less likely to report screening (aOR 0.2; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.1-0.5). Self-perception of anal cancer knowledge was not associated with screening in multivariable analysis (aOR 1.6; 95% CI 0.6-3.9). Age, race and HIV status were independently associated with a history of anal cancer screening.

Trends in Self-reported and Biochemically Tested Marijuana Use Among Pregnant Females in California From 2009 to 2016

(JAMA. 2017;318(24):2490–2491) Self-reported marijuana use in adult pregnant women in the United States increased from 2.4% to 3.9% between 2002 and 2014. The scope of marijuana use in pregnant women is left unclear due to social bias in self-reporting and underreporting. This study used data from the years 2009-2016 from a large California health care system using self-reporting and urine toxicology screening.

Validation of an interview-only version of the Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DY-BOCS) in treatment-seeking youth with obsessive-compulsive disorder

There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) may be sub-typed along different symptom dimensions. These dimensions may help explain responsiveness to current treatments. The Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DY-BOCS) is a validated instrument involving a self-report screening tool followed by a structured interview in which the presence/absence and severity of OCD symptom dimensions are assessed and rated. The present study investigated the validity of a briefer, interview-only version of the DY-BOCS modified for use in routine care. Clinically-referred children and adolescents (N = 119) with OCD were administered the DY-BOCS along with other measures of OCD, anxiety, depression, and overall functioning and a subset (N = 100) were reassessed on average 14 months after initial assessment. This briefer, interview-only version of the DY-BOCS demonstrated high levels of internal consistency and correlated in the moderate to strong range with alternative measures of OCD severity and OCD symptom dimensions. Change scores on the DY-BOCS from baseline to follow-up were significantly correlated with change scores on the alternative measures of OCD and clinician-rated improvement, suggesting that this brief version of the DY-BOCS is valid and sensitive to the effects of treatment for OCD delivered in routine clinical care.

The Relationship Between Measures of Impulsivity and Clinical Characteristics of Patients With Alcohol Use Disorder

The current article presents findings on the interaction between impulsivity features and clinical characteristics of patients with alcohol use disorders (AUD). Patients (n = 88), who were completing detoxification program for the symptoms of AUD, were recruited for the study. They completed biographical questionnaire, Penn CravingScale (PACS), self-report screening measure of the symptoms of adult ADHD (ASRS v.1.1) and underwent a series of experimental tasks (Delay Discounting Task (DDT), Stroop Task, Continuous Performance Test-Identical Pairs (CPT-IP), Tower of London (ToL)). Two distinct groups of impulsivity features were identified using clusteranalysis. One group, which was comprised of DDT and ToL measures, described the level of impulsivity during the decision-making process. The second group included Stroop task and CPT-IP measures and expressed the level of response inhibition and interference control. In addition, the model of interaction between measuresof impulsivity and clinical characteristics of patients was developed. The self-report measure of inattention and hyperactivity had significant effect on the level of craving and the duration of remission. No significant relationships were observed between DDT clinical characteristics.
 Keywords: impulsivity, alcohol use disorder, delay discounting, stroop task, Tower of London, CPT-IP, craving, ASRS

Current situation of frailty screening tools for older adults.

Frailty is a geriatric syndrome associated with adverse outcomes such as falls, disability, and mortality. Frailty is common and contributes to rising health care costs. Early screening and timely tailored intervention may effectively prevent or delay the adverse outcomes in older adults. Studies on frailty and its specific measurement tools are increasing in number, but the debate on the screening instruments remains. Currently, self-reported screening tools can identify frailty and predict the risk of adverse outcomes in older adults. Because they are easy to use and quickly provide information, self-reported frailty screening tools have significant implication in primary care settings and clinics. We reviewed the frailty screening instruments in older adults and proposed a two-step pathway for frailty identification, and to manage declines in intrinsic capacity as well as boost resilience.

Predictors of Physical Activity in Middle Childhood. A Fixed-Effects Regression Approach.

Background: Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) has a range of health benefits across the life span. Although many putative determinants of children's MVPA have been identified, their causal status is uncertain due to difficulties in adjusting for potential confounders.Objective: To inform promotion of children's MVPA we therefore aimed to examine well-known child-, family- and contextual predictors of MVPA in middle childhood, by applying a fixed effects regression approach, which rules out the influence of all unmeasured time-invariant confounders.Methods: Two birth cohorts of children living in the city of Trondheim, Norway were invited to participate (82.0% consented). The participants were followed-up biennially from age 6 to 10 years (n = 800) between 2009 and 2014. MVPA in children was recorded by accelerometers and child-, family- and contextual factors were obtained through interviews and questionnaires. Predictors included (i) child-level factors: the child's time outdoors, organized sports participation, athletic self-concept, self-reported screen time and objectively measured sedentariness; (ii) family factors: self-reported parental MVPA and actively transporting the child to school; and (iii) contextual factors: parental socio-economic status (SES), access to playgrounds and ballparks, traffic safety, and having a garden. A three-wave prospective study was conducted with a hybrid fixed effects regressions analysis adjusting for all time-invariant confounders to examine predictors of MVPA.Results: Children evidenced increased MVPA when they spent more time outside, spent less time being sedentary and when the family had a garden and lived in a traffic-safe area.Conclusion: Adjusting for measured time-varying and all unmeasured time-invariant confounders renders many previously identified child and family factors without impact on MVPA in children. However, several contextual factors may promote MVPA in middle childhood, and efforts to facilitate children being outside in environments that promote physical activity (e.g., being outside, in gardens, or otherwise traffic safe areas) may prove important.

Outdoor Time, Screen Time, and Connection to Nature: Troubling Trends Among Rural Youth?

Evidence suggests that contemporary children are spending less time outdoors than their predecessors. Concurrent reports also highlight the rise of electronic media use in the lives of youth. We explored relationships between self-reported outdoor time, screen time, and connection to nature in a sample of sixth- to eighth-grade students across rural South Carolina ( N = 543). We found that most youth spent time outdoors, but they spent more time with electronic media. The outdoor versus screen time discrepancy was particularly pronounced for girls, African Americans, and eighth graders. Connection to nature, linked to outdoor time, was highest among boys, White students, and sixth graders. Our study contributes to growing evidence highlighting the negative influence of escalating screen time on outdoor time and connection to nature during adolescence. Programs designed to address these troubling trends could focus on two groups at particularly high risk: girls and youth of color.

Screening tool to identify adolescents living with HIV in a community setting in Zimbabwe: A validation study.

IntroductionA simple cost-effective strategy to pre-screen for targeted HIV testing can have substantial benefit in high burden and resource limited settings. A 4-item (previous hospitalisation, orphanhood, poor health status, and recurring skin problems) screening tool to identify adolescents living with HIV has previously shown high sensitivity in healthcare facility settings. We validated this screening tool in a community setting, in Harare, Zimbabwe in a community-based HIV prevalence survey.MethodsA community-based HIV prevalence survey was conducted among individuals aged 8–17 years with guardian consent and child assent and residing in 7 communities during the period February 2015 to December 2015. Participants without previously diagnosed HIV were evaluated for the probability of having HIV using the screening tool. HIV status was defined using an anonymous HIV test which was done using Oral Mucosal Transudate (OMT). A questionnaire was also administered to ascertain self-reported HIV status and screening tool items. The validity of a 4-item screening tool was tested. Sensitivity and specificity of the screening tool was assessed against the HIV status based on OMT result.ResultsPrevalence survey participants were 5386 children who had an HIV test result, aged 8–17 years. However, 5384, who did not report testing HIV positive and responded to all screening tool item questions were included in the validation. Their median age was 12 (IQR: 10–15) years, 2515 (46.7%) were male. HIV prevalence was 1.3% (95% CI:1.0–1.8%). The 4-item screening tool had poor accuracy with an area under the receiver operating curve of 0.65(95% CI: 0.60–0.72) at a cut-off score≥1. Its sensitivity was 56.3% (95% CI:44.0–68.1%) and specificity of 75.1% (95% CI:73.9–76.3%), PPV of 2.9% (95% CI:2.1–3.9%) and a NPV of 99.2% (95% CI:98.9–99.5%). The number needed to test to diagnose one child using the screening tool was 55% lower than universal testing for HIV.ConclusionUse of the 4-item screening tool could be a strategy that can be adopted to identify children living with HIV in a community setting in resource limited settings by reducing the number needed to test compared to universal testing since it is inexpensive, easy to administer and not harmful. However, screening items adapted to a community setting need to be explored to improve the performance of the screening tool.

Cancer worries and uptake of breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening: A population-based survey in England.

Some degree of general worry about cancer may facilitate screening participation, but specific worries about the potential consequences (e.g. treatment, death) may act as deterrents. No studies have examined these associations in the same sample. We assessed associations between general versus specific cancer worries and cancer screening participation. In 2016, a population-based cross-sectional survey of adults living in England was carried out. This paper reports analyses of a subsample (n = 1694). Measures included (i) frequency of general cancer worry, (ii) specific worries about the emotional and physical consequences of a cancer diagnosis, and (iii) specific worries about the social consequences of a cancer diagnosis. Logistic regression analyses examined their association with self-reported screening uptake among participants eligible for cervical (n = 671), breast (n = 323), and colorectal (n = 368) cancer screening. Frequency of general cancer worry was not associated with screening participation. Specific worry about the emotional and physical consequences increased the odds of participants reporting regular uptake of colorectal screening (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.04-1.90). Specific worry about the social consequences of diagnosis was negatively associated with regular attendance for cervical and breast screening in unadjusted analyses only. In adjusted models, the associations were no longer statistically significant for cervical (OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.65-1.03) or breast (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.45-1.04) screening. Specific worries about cancer may be differentially associated with participation across screening programmes. Further research is needed, as interventions to optimise informed participation may be improved if the specific worries associated with low participation in each programme are understood.

Lifestyle Clusters in School-Aged Youth and Longitudinal Associations with Fatness: The UP&DOWN Study

To identify lifestyle clusters in children and adolescents, to analyze associations between lifestyle clusters and body fat percentage (BFP) at baseline and 2 years later, and to examine if BFP at baseline is associated with BFP 2 years later. This longitudinal study involved 1634 Spanish youth (804 girls) aged 8-18 years (mean, 12.45 ± 2.51 years). Cluster analysis was performed by including objectively measured sedentary time and physical activity and self-reported screen time and diet. The associations between cluster membership and BFP was analyzed through general linear models. All the analyses were separated by 3 age groups: older children, younger adolescents, and older adolescents. Four clusters were identified in the 3 age groups: (1) healthy lifestyle cluster (high moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, low screen and total sedentary time), (2) predominantly sedentary cluster, (3) mainly screen time consumers cluster, and (4) nonhealthy lifestyle cluster (predominantly low moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and unhealthy diet). Participants belonging to the healthy lifestyle cluster showed significantly lower BFP at baseline and 2 years later compared with the other profiles. These differences remained significant when adjusted by BFP at baseline within the younger adolescents. Moreover, BFP at baseline positively predicted BFP 2 years later in all groups. These findings identify distinct lifestyle patterns. These clusters could be useful to develop interventions to reduce overweight and obesity in children and adolescents.

PRISM: a brief screening tool to identify risk in parents of youth with chronic pain.

Having a child with chronic pain impacts a parent's life. Reciprocally, parent cognitive, affective, and behavioral responses to the child's chronic pain can influence the child's pain experience. The purpose of this study is to develop a brief self-report screening tool (Parent Risk and Impact Screening Measure [PRISM]) of parent psychosocial functioning and behavioral responses to child pain. This measure assesses parents' reports of their own stress, health, psychosocial functioning, and disruption in activities due to their child's pain and related disability. In an effort to preliminarily validate this screening tool, we examined the PRISM in relation to existing measures of parent distress, parent behavior, and child functioning. An initial 30-item PRISM was administered to 229 parents of children with persistent pain. Parents also reported on distress, protectiveness, pain catastrophizing and family impact, and youth completed measures of pain, pain-related disability, and quality of life. Item refinement resulted in a final 12-item PRISM tool. The PRISM demonstrates strong internal consistency, and initial support for construct validity was shown by associations with parent distress, protectiveness, and catastrophizing. Results also revealed higher PRISM scores are associated with higher child pain intensity, greater functional disability, and poorer quality of life. Cutoff scores were determined to identify parents at differing levels of risk. The PRISM is a brief and clinically important means of screening parent distress and behaviors associated with child pain-related dysfunction. Further validation will use PRISM in longitudinal studies, particularly testing PRISM scores as a predictor of parent and child outcomes over time.

Depression is Closely Associated With Chronic Low Back Pain in Patients Over 50 Years of Age: A Cross-sectional Study Using the Sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES VI-2).

A cross-sectional study. This study was designed to analyze the relationship between the presence and severity of depression and low back pain (LBP) in a representative sample of the general population using a self-report screening questionnaire for depression. There is increasing evidence supporting an association between depression and LBP. However, the degree of the association between these two conditions in the general population is poorly understood. Health surveys and examinations were conducted on a nationally representative sample (n = 7550) of Koreans. LBP status was determined by a simple survey response concerning LBP >30 days during the past 3 months. Depression was defined as individuals with a total score >10 on the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9 survey. The severity of depression was categorized as none (0-4), mild (5-9), moderate (10-14), moderately severe (15-19), and severe (20-27) according to PHQ-9 score. Data regarding demographics, socioeconomic history, and comorbid health conditions were used to analyze adjusted, weighted logistic regression models. In the Korean population, the prevalence of depression was significantly greater in individuals with LBP (20.3%) than in those without LBP (4.5%). On multivariate logistic regression analysis, the presence of depression was significantly associated with LBP (adjusted odd ratio [aOR]: 3.93, P < 0.001). The risk of LBP increased with increasing severity of depression as follows: severe depression (aOR: 9.28, P < 0.001), moderately severe depression (aOR: 3.24, P = 0.001), moderate depression (aOR: 4.97, P < 0.001), and mild depression (aOR: 2.48, P < 0.001). Depression is more common in patients with LBP among Koreans. The presence of depression was significantly associated with LBP, especially in severely depressed individuals. 3.

Mental health in Syrian children with a focus on post-traumatic stress: a cross-sectional study from Syrian schools

PurposeStudies show that conflict can negatively affect psychological health. The Syrian crisis is 8 years old and yet little is known about the impact of the conflict on the well-being of Syrians who remain. This gap was addressed by conducting an empirical study on the mental health burden of Syrian children in two areas of the country.Methods492 children between 8 and 15 years were randomly selected from schools in Damascus and Latakia. The incidence of psychological disorder symptoms was measured using self-report screening instruments, the Children’s Revised Impact of Event Scale (CRIES-8) and the Revised Children’s Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS-25). Simultaneously, sociodemographic and traumatic event information was collected. Binary logistic regression was used to identify factors that influence the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms.ResultsIn our sample, 50.2% of students were internally displaced and 32.1% reported a negative experience. 60.5% of those tested had at least one probable psychological disorder with PTSD the most common (35.1%), followed by depression (32.0%), and anxiety (29.5%). Binary logistic regression indicated that PTSD symptoms were predicted by: living in Damascus [odds ratio (OR) 2.36, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.51–3.69], being female (1.54, 1.02–2.34), having depression and anxiety (2.55, 1.48–4.40), and the negative experiences; displacement and daily warzone exposure (1.84, 1.02–3.30 and 2.67, 1.08–6.60).ConclusionsSyrian children are experiencing traumatic events and war-associated daily stresses that are hugely impacting psychological well-being. Our data offer guidance for mental health providers regarding risk factors and highlights the use of the school system to reach suffering children.

Validity of self-reported periodontal measures, demographic characteristics, and systemic medical conditions.

The objective of the present study was to assess self-reported periodontal screening questions, demographic characteristics, systemic medical conditions, and tobacco use for predicting periodontal disease among individuals seeking dental therapy in a university dental clinic. In this retrospective study, a total of 4,890 randomly selected dental charts were evaluated from among patients who had attended the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry clinics for treatment. Radiographic bone loss measurements were used to assess the severity of periodontal disease. Demographic characteristics as well as medical history of the patients were also recorded. Five self-reported periodontal screening questions were included, with answers limited to Yes/No. Generalized logit models were used to assess the association between bone loss and the predictors. The sample's mean age was 54.1 years and included 52.6% males and 14.9% smokers, with a mean of 3.5 missing teeth. Self-reported tooth mobility, history of "gum treatment," and the importance of retaining teeth as well as age, tobacco use, and cancer were statistically significant predictors (P<0.05) of a radiographic diagnosis of moderate and severe periodontal disease. With respect to severe periodontal disease, significant associations (P<0.05) were also found with "bleeding while brushing," gender, diabetes, anxiety, and arthritis. Self-reported periodontal screening questions as well as demographic characteristics, smoking, and systemic medical conditions were significant predictors of periodontal disease, and they could be used as valid, economic, and practical measures.

Re-examination of the Family Law Detection of Overall Risk Screen (FL-DOORS): Establishing fitness for purpose.

Conflicted parental separation is associated with escalating risks to wellbeing and safety for all family members. The Family Law DOORS (FL-DOORS, Detection Of Overall Risk Screen) is a three-part framework designed to assist frontline workers to identify, evaluate, and respond to these risks in separated families. The FL-DOORS system includes a 10-domain parent self-report screening measure, covering child and parent wellbeing, cultural and social risks, and safety risks experienced by and initiated by each parent. A first validation study of this screen was conducted with the first 660 separated parents to complete the measure at a frontline community agency, and found robust psychometric properties (McIntosh, Wells, & Lee, 2016). This paper presents a revalidation study of FL-DOORS screening measure with a new cohort of 5,429 separated parents, including 1,642 pairs. Our aim was to evaluate whether FL-DOORS was fit for the purpose of indicating a range of safety and wellbeing risks in separated families. We repeated internal scale reliability and concurrent and external criterion validity analyses. Original subscales were largely confirmed, and validity analyses were extended through a Multi-Trait Multi-Method (MTMM) approach. In this second larger cohort, the FL-DOORS screen was again found fit-for-purpose as an indicator of domestic violence and wellbeing risks in separated families. (PsycINFO Database Record

Barriers to Breast Cancer Screening among Diverse Cultural Groups in Melbourne, Australia

This study explored the association between health literacy, barriers to breast cancer screening, and breast screening participation for women from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. English-, Arabic- and Italian-speaking women (n = 317) between the ages of 50 to 74 in North West Melbourne, Australia were recruited to complete a survey exploring health literacy, barriers to breast cancer screening, and self-reported screening participation. A total of 219 women (69%) reported having a breast screen within the past two years. Results revealed that health literacy was not associated with screening participation. Instead, emotional barriers were a significant factor in the self-reported uptake of screening. Three health literacy domains were related to lower emotional breast screening barriers, feeling understood and supported by healthcare providers, social support for health and understanding health information well enough to know what to do. Compared with English- and Italian-speaking women, Arabic-speaking women reported more emotional barriers to screening and greater challenges in understanding health information well enough to know what to do. Interventions that can improve breast screening participation rates should aim to reduce emotional barriers to breast screening, particularly for Arabic-speaking women.

The impact of school support on depression among adolescent orphans: a cluster-randomized trial in Kenya.

The objective of this study was to determine if a school support intervention for adolescent orphans in Kenya had effects on mental health, a secondary outcome. In this paper, we analyzed data from a 4-year cluster-randomized trial of a school support intervention (school uniforms, school fees, and nurse visits) conducted with orphaned adolescents in Siaya County, western Kenya, who were about to transition to secondary school. 26 primary schools were randomized (1:1) to intervention (410 students) or control (425 students) arms. The study was longitudinal with annual repeated measures collected over 4years from 2011 to 2014. We administered five items from the 20-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale Revised, a self-reported depression screening instrument. The intervention prevented depression severity scores from increasing over timeamong adolescents recruited from intervention schools. There was no evidence of treatment heterogeneity bygender or baseline depression status. The intervention effect on depression was partially mediated by higher levelsof continuous school enrollment among the intervention group, but this mediated effect was small. School support for orphans may help to buffer against the onset or worsening of depression symptoms over time, promoting resilience among an important at-risk population.

Association between alcohol screening and brief intervention during routine check-ups and alcohol consumption among adults living in California

BackgroundAlcohol consumption accounts for 1 in 10 deaths among U.S. adults and cost upwards of $200 billion each year due to productivity loss. Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (aSBIRT) was developed as a treatment approach for use in primary care to identify and reduce substance abuse. Although aSBIRT has proven to be successful, implementation rates remain low. MethodsUsing population level representative data from the 2014 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) conducted in California, this study utilizes logistic regression to analyze the association between self-reported drinking levels and screening and brief intervention practices during routine check-ups. ResultsThe results demonstrated that the more an individual drank, the lower the odds of receiving aSBIRT during a routine check-up. Men had reduced odds of receiving intervention compared to women (odds ratio [OR], 2.21; confidence interval [CI], 1.68–2.90, p < 0.01) and diabetics had reduced odds of receiving intervention compared to non-diabetics (OR, 0.66; CI, 0.45–0.97, p = 0.3). Finally, those with lower income had reduced odds of intervention compared to those with higher income (OR, 1.84; CI, 1.33–2.56, p < 0.01). Among those who were at risk for alcohol abuse (83%) the intervention was only administered to 39%, and men had reduced odds of receiving intervention. ConclusionPhysicians perform alcohol screenings, but do not follow up the screening with intervention. Attention should be focused on delivering intervention to those identified as at risk for alcohol abuse through standard screening tools, specifically to men, diabetics, and lower income groups.This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Validation of computerized episodic memory measures in a diverse clinical sample referred for neuropsychological assessment

Objective: To examine the convergent and discriminant validity of two brief computerized episodic memory measures in a large, diverse clinical sample of adults undergoing neuropsychological assessment. Method: Computerized measures of word and face memory were administered to 233 adults (age 30 and over) who also completed comprehensive neuropsychological testing. Results: Moderate correlations were observed between the computerized memory tests and a wide range of traditional neuropsychological measures of episodic memory (e.g. word-list learning, story recall, face recognition, design recall). Select measures of visuomotor processing speed and language were also related to performance on the computerized tasks. In contrast, the computerized memory tests showed weak correlations with tests in other cognitive domains (i.e. visuospatial skills, attention/working memory, executive function, motor dexterity, academic skills) and self-report screening measures of mood and anxiety. Similar to traditional measures of episodic memory, the computerized memory measures were sensitive to effects of age and gender. Conclusions: Computerized measures of word and face memory showed good convergent and discriminant validity in this diverse clinical sample supporting the construct validity of these measures. This indicates that it may be feasible to measure memory function in clinical settings using brief, well-designed computerized memory measures.

Assessing the validity of self-reported breast cancer screening coverage in the Belgian Health Interview survey

Introduction Worldwide, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among females. In Belgium, it is the first female cancer in terms of incidence (more than a third of cancers) and the leading cause of premature death in women. Hence, reducing deaths through early diagnosis is an important objective for the health authorities. Screening for breast cancer is generally recognized as being effective in reducing mortality from this cancer. Studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of mammography screening for breast cancer, especially for women aged 50 to 69 years. According to the international guidelines, it is advisable to measure the proportion of the target population covered by screening. Due to the time and the costs related to medical records abstraction, information on breast cancer screening is often based on self-reports in population-sample surveys. Self-reported data may however be inaccurate due to recall errors and biases, impeding valid inference. The validity of self-report can be verified by comparing this information with a trusted measure or “gold standard” such as health insurance data. This study investigates first the validity of self-report information on breast cancer screening in the Belgian Health interview survey (BHIS), using the Belgian compulsory Health Insurance (HI) data as gold standard and second, the selection bias due to non-participation. Methods Individual data of the Belgian Health Interview Survey 2008 (BHIS2008) were linked to HI data covering more than 99% of the population. Only women aged 50–69 years who responded to the question related to the breast cancer screening in the BHIS2008 “having had a mammogram in the last two years” were considered (n = 1009). This indicator measures the rate of eligible women undergoing mammography. In the HI data related to the same women, the fact that women had a reimbursement for a mammography within the last two years was used as golden standard. The breast cancer screening coverage rates from both data sources were compared. The sensitivity, specificity and predictive values of the self-reported indicator were estimated for which HI data served as were golden standard. We also assessed the selection bias by comparing the screening coverage in the BHIS2008 sample with that of a completely random sample of HI data (representing 1/40 of the Belgian population). Results Mammographic coverage rate in the BHIS2008 sample was estimated to be 73% through the self-reported information and 63% through the HI information. From the random sample, the coverage rate was 61.9%. The sensitivity of reporting a mammography was high (93.9%) while the specificity was moderate (62%) for whole Belgium. However, within the 37.9% of women reporting to have had a mammography in the past 2 years, but for which no confirmation could be found in the HI dataset, the almost the half (17%) had indeed undergone a mammography in the last 3 years. This is a typical “telescoping bias”, when people perceive events as being more recent than they actually were. The positive and negative predictive values were respectively 81% and 85%. The difference between HI and random sample coverage rates was small (1.5%), and there was not significant evidence of selection bias. Conclusions The mammographic coverage rate in women aged 50–69 years is overestimated in the BHIS2008. This is in line with expectations since such information can be subject to social desirability and/or telescopic bias. There was almost no selection bias. Although the validity of breast cancer screening in the BHIS2008 is moderate, BHIS remains an added value for the breast cancer screening in the general population since it offers the opportunity to link with plenty of other parameters, like the health and the socioeconomic status as well as other health (preventive) behaviours.