Household Survey, Individual Interview, and Clinical Examination to Determine Prevalance of Heart Disease

Abstract

The prevalence of diseases of the heart in an adult population was estimated, based on 3 different basic measurements giving markedly different results. Neither of the 2 interview procedures described is sufficiently sensitive for estimating prevalence of clinical heart disease in a general population. Cases of heart disease not elicited by the interview methods employed are mild cases occurring generally among middle-aged or older persons which have, however, produced symptoms referable to the cardiovascular system. The cases described as heart disease at interview which were not diagnosed as heart disease in the clinic have an average age 20 years younger than those cases of heart disease overlooked at interview and include a high proportion of young persons with a history of rheumatic fever or "heart murmur." There is evidence in the data presented of variation in the survey results attributable to informant choice and to tense and wording changes in questions used on different occasions.