Reliability of an adult respiratory symptom questionnaire in a community located near a mine dump in South Africa: pilot study

Figures & data

Table 1: Demographics of the participants

Characteristics	n = … (%)
Population
Participants (n = 48)
Sex
Females	32 (67)
Males	16 (33)
Marital status
Divorced	2 (6)
Married	19 (40)
Single	12 (25)
Widowed	14 (29)
Education level
No schooling	15 (31)
Primary	21 (44)
Secondary	12 (25)
Age (in years)
Do not know	1 (2)
55–64	21 (44)
65–74	18 (37)
75–84	7 (15)
85–100	1 (2)

Table 2: Reliability coefficients of the outcome variables

Outcome measure	Test scale (α coefficient)	Average number of years (SD^*)
Cough	0.96	5 (5.3)
Phlegm	0.88	13 (16.0)
Wheezing	0.78	4(10.5)
Breathlessness	0.79	45 (3.7)
Chest cold and chest illness	0.91	50 (2.3)
Past illness	0.53	32 (2.3)
Pneumonia	0.72	23 (2.8)
Asthma	0.73	35 (27.8)
Chronic bronchitis	0.76	38 (26.8)
Emphysema	0.80	51 (17.1)
Myocardial infarction/heart attack	1.00	44 (29.8)
Arrhythmia	0.98	41 (25.9)

^*SD – Standard deviation.