Methodological note: Corroboration of self-reported smoking status using significant other reports

Significant other reports (SORs) are commonly used in smoking cessation studies to verify self-reports of smoking status. This report focuses on factors related to the smoker and significant other, which can affect self-reported classification of smoking status when using SORs. Data used in this analysis were collected from a cohort of 107 smokers who participated in a smoking cessation program. Participants were contacted at 1, 3, and 6 months after quitting to obtain self-reports of smoking status. SORs also were obtained at each assessment period. The highest discrepancy rate between self-report and SOR was observed among slippers, followed by relapsers, and abstainers, respectively. In addition, corroboration of smoking status was influenced by the social context in which the significant other was likely to see the smoker.