What do retrospective subjective reports of childhood health capture? Evidence from the Wisconsin longitudinal study

Numerous large cohort studies have begun collecting retrospective childhood health information. However, few studies have investigated the content and quality of such data. This study fills this gap by investigating the content of subjective retrospective childhood health measures using the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. The authors find that a wide array of common childhood conditions and activity limitations were significant predictors of overall assessments of childhood health status. Those conditions that were persistent/recurring, such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, and frequent ear infections, were the strongest predictors of overall health reports. The results lend support to the judicious use of retrospective childhood health data.