The accuracy of self-reported smoking: A systematic review of the relationship between self-reported and cotinine-assessed smoking status

Smoking is a leading cause of premature mortality and preventable morbidity. Surveillance is most often based on self-reported data, but studies have shown that self-reports tend to underestimate smoking status.

This study systematically reviewed the literature to measure the concordance between self-reported smoking status and smoking status determined through measures of cotinine in biological fluids. Four electronic databases were searched to identify observational and experimental studies on adult populations over the age of 18 years.