OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the reliability of reported stressful life events in a multidimensional self-administered questionnaire. METHODS: A test-retest design was used as a part of a pilot test conducted in a sample of 192 civil servants of a public university in Rio de Janeiro. The interval between the two measurements was two weeks. Stressful life events were measured through close-ended questions with dichotomous answers, covering the following events during the previous 12 months: serious illness, hospitalization, death of close family member, major financial difficulty, change of residence, separation/divorce, physical assault, and mugging/robbery. The analysis was conducted through stratification by sex and education level, using kappa coefficient. RESULTS: The main results showed that the reliability was "considerable" to "almost perfect" (kappa values between 0.62-1.00) to both sexes, for questions regarding hospitalization, death of close family member, major financial difficulty, separation/divorce, and mugging/robbery. For most life events, the differences in kappa values reflected differences in the respondents' educational level, with better results for those with higher education. CONCLUSION: The results of the study suggest that the use of discrete questions about stressful life events in a multidimensional self-administered questionnaire is adequate, with most of the questions having a good stability when reported by adults from diverse educational background.
Reliability and validity; Life change events; Stress; Measurement instruments
