Validity of subjective questionnaire in evaluating dwelling characteristics, home dampness, and indoor odors in Shanghai, China: Cross-sectional survey and on-site inspection

• We validated agreement for dwelling factors, damp and odors among reporters.
• Parents and inspectors had good consistencies regarding dwelling characteristics.
• Parents and inspectors had slight consistencies regarding damp and indoor odors.
• Consistencies had little differences for father or mother as questionnaire-reporter.
• Consistencies had little differences for residences inspected in different seasons.

Numerous questionnaire-based studies were conducted to investigate associations of home environment with childhood health, whereas few studies confirmed validity of parents-reported questionnaire regarding dwelling characteristics and dampness-related indicators. According to data obtained by standard questions regarding these items via on-site inspection in 454 residences with young children during 2013–2014, and data collected for these items from their parents-reported questionnaires in cross-sectional survey during 2011–2012 in Shanghai, China, this paper validated consistencies of information for these items between the two phases, thus to confirm validity of parents-reported questionnaire regarding these items. According to Kappa (k) values, parents and inspectors had moderate/substantial consistencies regarding dwelling characteristics (k = 0.212–0.894), but had slight consistencies regarding dampness-related indicators and indoor odors (absolute k = 0.019–0.144). However, according to the observed, positive, and negative proportional agreement (Po, Ppos, and Pneg), parents and inspectors had substantial/prefect consistencies in most of the studied items (Po = 0.45–0.96). These trends of consistencies for different items had no notable differences, regardless of father or mother as the questionnaire-reporter, and among the residences inspected in different seasons. This study suggests parents-reported questionnaire could be a reliable and valid method to indicate the overall status of dwelling characteristics and home dampness-related exposures.