TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of several recruitment strategies on response rates at baseline in a prospective cohort investigation The Olmsted county study of urinary symptoms and health status among men
AU - Panser, Laurel A.
AU - Chute, Christopher G.
AU - Girman, Cynthia J.
AU - Guess, Harry A.
AU - Oesterling, Joseph E.
AU - Lieber, Michael M.
AU - Jacobsen, Steven J.
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported in part by research grant AR30582 from the National Institutes of Health, Public Health Service, and a grant-in-aid from Merck Research Laboratories, Blue Bell, PA.
PY - 1994/7
Y1 - 1994/7
N2 - Epidemiologic survey response rates were studied in relation to maneuvers introduced to improve acceptance: (a) variation in invitation letters, (b) the use of a brochure with the recruitment mailing, and (c) options for interview location. The baseline population-based survey of a prospective cohort investigation of the natural history of benign prostatic hyperplasia was used. Invitations to particpate were mailed to eligible, randomly selected men aged 40 to 79 years from the Olmsted County, Minnesota, population during 1989 to 1991. Of the 3874 men identified, 2119 (55%) participated. Overall, there was no difference in response rate according to invitation characteristics (χ52 = 8.02, P = 0.16). Nevertheless, response rates varied with age (χ72 = 30.9, P < 0.001) and home location (rural versus Rochester city; χ12 = 76.9, P < 0.001). This suggests the innovations used to bolster acceptance did not materially improve response rates. Further, since response rates were highest for men aged 60 to 74 years, men with more symptoms and free time may have joined the cohort more often than others.
AB - Epidemiologic survey response rates were studied in relation to maneuvers introduced to improve acceptance: (a) variation in invitation letters, (b) the use of a brochure with the recruitment mailing, and (c) options for interview location. The baseline population-based survey of a prospective cohort investigation of the natural history of benign prostatic hyperplasia was used. Invitations to particpate were mailed to eligible, randomly selected men aged 40 to 79 years from the Olmsted County, Minnesota, population during 1989 to 1991. Of the 3874 men identified, 2119 (55%) participated. Overall, there was no difference in response rate according to invitation characteristics (χ52 = 8.02, P = 0.16). Nevertheless, response rates varied with age (χ72 = 30.9, P < 0.001) and home location (rural versus Rochester city; χ12 = 76.9, P < 0.001). This suggests the innovations used to bolster acceptance did not materially improve response rates. Further, since response rates were highest for men aged 60 to 74 years, men with more symptoms and free time may have joined the cohort more often than others.
KW - Epidemiologic methods
KW - cohort studies
KW - health surveys
KW - nonresponse bias
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0028124373&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0028124373&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/1047-2797(94)90088-4
DO - 10.1016/1047-2797(94)90088-4
M3 - Article
C2 - 7921322
AN - SCOPUS:0028124373
SN - 1047-2797
VL - 4
SP - 321
EP - 326
JO - Annals of epidemiology
JF - Annals of epidemiology
IS - 4
ER -