Abstract
Objective
To compare depression prevalence estimates measured by the 8-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8) with two administration modes in two national surveys.
Methods
Data on adults aged 18 years and older who participated in the 2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) (n = 198,678) and those who participated in the 2005–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (n = 4,800) were analyzed.
Results
The crude PHQ-8 depression prevalence estimate using the diagnostic algorithm was higher in BRFSS with computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) (9.16%, SE 0.15) than in NHANES with computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) (6.28%, SE 0.59) (P < 0.001). After adjustment for demographic characteristics, the difference in the prevalence estimates remained (9.68% in BRFSS vs. 6.13% in NHANES, P < 0.001). Similar differences in the depression prevalence estimates using the PHQ-8 cutoff score ≥10 were detected (9.22% in BRFSS vs. 5.15% in NHANES, P < 0.001). Significant differences in the depression prevalence persisted in subgroups stratified by demographic characteristics and major health risk factors and outcomes.
Conclusions
The PHQ-8 administered by CATI yielded about 3.5% higher depression prevalence estimate than that by CAPI.
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to acknowledge Dr. William C Reeves of the CDC for his critical reviews and contribution to this manuscript.
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The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
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The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Li, C., Ford, E.S., Zhao, G. et al. A comparison of depression prevalence estimates measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire with two administration modes: computer-assisted telephone interviewing versus computer-assisted personal interviewing. Int J Public Health 57, 225–233 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-011-0253-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-011-0253-9