Wilcox A J, Horney L F
Am J Epidemiol. 1984 Nov;120(5):727-33. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a113940.
Data regarding spontaneous abortion are more easily obtained retrospectively than prospectively. However, the comparable quality of data obtained by these two approaches is not known. Retrospective data are difficult to validate because spontaneous abortions are not routinely documented. In this study, the quality of retrospective data was evaluated by comparing them with prospective data collected incidentally in a long-term study of menstrual cycles. A total of 348 women recorded one or more spontaneous abortions while participating in the Menstrual and Reproductive Health Study and were resurveyed regarding their pregnancy histories. Seventy-five per cent of recorded abortions were recalled. Gestational age at time of abortion was the major determinant of recall, with early abortions less often remembered. Time since abortion also affected recall, but less so. Other factors such as parity or maternal age were not related to completeness of recall. Recall of three fourths of recorded abortions among this group of women sensitized to their reproductive functions probably represents an upper limit of recall for other populations. While retrospective abortion data often are more accessible than medical records or prospective data, there may be limits to the usefulness of recalled abortion data in certain settings.
关于自然流产的数据通过回顾性研究比前瞻性研究更容易获得。然而，这两种方法所获得数据的可比质量尚不清楚。回顾性数据难以验证，因为自然流产并非常规记录。在本研究中，通过将回顾性数据与在一项关于月经周期的长期研究中偶然收集的前瞻性数据进行比较，对回顾性数据的质量进行了评估。共有348名女性在参与月经与生殖健康研究时记录了一次或多次自然流产，并就其妊娠史接受了再次调查。75%的记录流产被回忆起来。流产时的孕周是回忆的主要决定因素，早期流产较少被记住。流产后的时间也影响回忆，但影响较小。其他因素，如产次或母亲年龄，与回忆的完整性无关。在这群对其生殖功能敏感的女性中，四分之三记录流产的回忆可能代表了其他人群回忆的上限。虽然回顾性流产数据通常比医疗记录或前瞻性数据更容易获取，但在某些情况下，回忆性流产数据的有用性可能存在局限性。
