Are driver's licenses issued within 3 years of cancer diagnosis a valid source of BMI data?

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Overweight and obesity are risk factors for several cancers; however, population-based cancer registries do not routinely collect data on body mass index (BMI). This study evaluated the utility of supplementing cancer registry data with BMI data derived from driver's license records.

Methods

We linked self-reported height and weight data from driver's license records to directly measured values, obtained via medical record abstraction, in a sample of 712 adult Iowa residents with cancer diagnosed during 2007-2012. Matched BMI values were subjected to a comprehensive evaluation of quantitative and categorical measures of agreement between data sources.

Results

Driver's license issue dates preceded diagnosis dates in 60.7% of cases, with time lags ranging from 3

SUBMITTER: Brumm MC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8095168 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature