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Purpose: This study evaluates changes in recall of combat exposures over the first year after return from deployment. The research purpose is to assess whether recall of combat exposures is consistent at different time points; if not, what demographic and/or PTSD symptom risk factors exist for any directional instability. Methods: Surveys completed by soldiers at 3, 6, and 12 months post–Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) deployment were linked for longitudinal analysis in a previous study in which three matched datasets were created: 3–6 months (N = 768), 6–12 months (N = 341), and 3–12 months (N = 445). Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was assessed by using the National Center for PTSD Checklist. The reliability of recall for 36 combat exposures was quantified. The effects of demographics and change in PTSD score on combat exposure recall were assessed. Results: The results showed an average of 80% to 90% agreement in combat exposure reporting between the time points. Every one-unit change in PTSD score was associated with a 0.1- to 0.5-unit change in recall of combat exposures over time. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that over the first year after return from deployment to Iraq, recall of combat experiences remained stable, and PTSD was slightly associated with increased reporting of combat exposures over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Twenty-four–hour diet recall interviews (24HRs) are used to assess diet and to validate other diet assessment instruments. Therefore it is important to know how many 24HRs are required to describe an individual''s intake. Method: Seventy-nine middle-aged white women completed seven 24HRs over a 14-day period, during which energy expenditure (EE) was determined by the doubly labeled water method (DLW). Mean daily intakes were compared to DLW-derived EE using paired t tests. Linear mixed models were used to evaluate the effect of call sequence and day of the week on 24HR-derived energy intake while adjusting for education, relative body weight, social desirability, and an interaction between call sequence and social desirability. Results: Mean EE from DLW was 2115kcal/day. Adjusted 24HR-derived energy intake was lowest at call 1 (1501kcal/day); significantly higher energy intake was observed at calls 2 and 3 (2246 and 2315kcal/day, respectively). Energy intake on Friday was significantly lower than on Sunday. Averaging energy intake from the first two calls better approximated true energy expenditure than did the first call, and averaging the first three calls further improved the estimate (p =0.02 for both comparisons). Additional calls did not improve estimation. Conclusions: Energy intake is underreported on the first 24HR. Three 24HRs appear optimal for estimating energy intake. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: Data about maternal recall accuracy for classifying early pregnancy medication exposure are meager. Nonetheless, studies often rely on recall to evaluate potential impact of pharmaceuticals on the developing fetus.Methods: Right from the Start is a community-based pregnancy cohort that enrolled women from North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. A subset of 318 women participated in daily medication diaries initiated before conception (2006-2012). We examined nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) as an example of a drug type that is difficult to study due to its intermittent and primarily over-the-counter use as well as its incomplete documentation in medical and pharmaceutical records. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) were assessed as a prescription medication comparator. Maternal recall of NSAID and SSRI use in early pregnancy was examined by comparing diary data (gold standard) to first-trimester interview.Results: Sensitivity and specificity for recall of NSAID exposure were 78.6% and 62.3%, respectively (kappa statistic: 0.41), with 72.3% agreement for exposure classification. Sensitivity and specificity for recall of SSRI exposure were 77.8% and 99.0%, respectively (kappa statistic: 0.79), with 97.8% agreement.Conclusions: Our findings suggest the validity of maternal recall varies with medication type and prospective data collection should be prioritized when studying early pregnancy drug exposures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]