American Journal of Epidemiology Vol. 126, No. 5: 962-971
Copyright © 1987 by The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health
research-article |
A COMPARISON OF RESPONSES TO MAILED QUESTIONNAIRES AND TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS IN A MIXED MODE HEALTH SURVEY1
Reprint requests to Dr. Donald J. Brambilla
This paper compares respondents to mailed questionnaires with those nonrespondents subsequently interviewed by telephone in a survey of Massachusetts women aged 45–55 years conducted in 1981–1982. This mixed mode approach produced 8,050 responses, giving a response rate of 77%. This rate is similar to rates obtained in many surveys that employed in-person Interviews, which are still widely used in health surveys but are increasingly expensive. Telephone respondents differed socloeconornlcally from mail respondents, suggesting that telephone follow-up of nonrespondents may have reduced nonresponse bias in this survey. Thus, a mixed mode approach may be superior to a mail-only approach with respect to this aspect of data quality. Women responding by mail were more likely to hold professional Jobs, to have relatively high household incomes, and to have more years of education. Controlling for these socioeco nomic differences did not, however, remove differences in reported health out comes between mail and telephone respondents. These differences may be explained by less complete recall In the telephone interviews or they may arise from actual differences in health profiles between early (i.e., mail) and late (i.e., telephone) respondents. Although a mixed mode approach may reduce nonresponse bias, more research is required concerning the reasons for response differences between modes and to eliminate any differences caused by problems in data quality.
data collection
1Cambridge Research Center, American Institutes for Research, 1100 Massachusetts Avenue, Cam bridge, MA 02138.
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  A. B. Carr, T. J. Beebe, and S. M. Jenkins An Assessment of Oral Health Importance: Results of a Statewide Survey J Am Dent Assoc, May 1, 2009; 140(5): 580 - 586. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 T. J. Beebe, S. M. Jenkins, K. J. Anderson, M. E. Davern, and T. H. Rockwood The Effects of Survey Mode and Asking About Future Intentions on Self-Reports of Colorectal Cancer Screening Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., April 1, 2008; 17(4): 785 - 790. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. D. Steffen, L. N. Kolonel, A. M. Nomura, F. S. Nagamine, K. R. Monroe, and L. R. Wilkens The Effect of Multiple Mailings on Recruitment: The Multiethnic Cohort Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., February 1, 2008; 17(2): 447 - 454. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. Martin, M. Haren, A. Taylor, S. Middleton, G. Wittert, and Members of the Florey Adelaide Male Ageing Study ( Cohort Profile: The Florey Adelaide Male Ageing Study (FAMAS) Int. J. Epidemiol., April 1, 2007; 36(2): 302 - 306. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. Bowling Mode of questionnaire administration can have serious effects on data quality J. Public Health Med., September 1, 2005; 27(3): 281 - 291. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. Brinker, C. Kornegay, and P. Nourjah Trends in Adherence to a Revised Risk Management Program Designed to Decrease or Eliminate Isotretinoin-Exposed Pregnancies: Evaluation of the Accutane SMART Program Arch Dermatol, May 1, 2005; 141(5): 563 - 569. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. F. Aitken, P. H. Youl, M. Janda, M. Elwood, I. T. Ring, and J. B. Lowe Comparability of Skin Screening Histories Obtained by Telephone Interviews and Mailed Questionnaires: A Randomized Crossover Study Am. J. Epidemiol., September 15, 2004; 160(6): 598 - 604. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Rogers, M. A. Murtaugh, S. Edwards, and M. L. Slattery Contacting Controls: Are We Working Harder for Similar Response Rates, and Does It Make a Difference? Am. J. Epidemiol., July 1, 2004; 160(1): 85 - 90. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D M Purdie, M P Dunne, F M Boyle, M D Cook, and J M Najman Health and demographic characteristics of respondents in an Australian national sexuality survey: comparison with population norms J Epidemiol Community Health, October 1, 2002; 56(10): 748 - 753. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. Brogger, P. Bakke, G. E. Eide, and A. Gulsvik Comparison of Telephone and Postal Survey Modes on Respiratory Symptoms and Risk Factors Am. J. Epidemiol., March 15, 2002; 155(6): 572 - 576. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. Sobal, B. R. DeForge, K. S. Ferentz, H. L. Muncie Jr, C. M. Valente, and D. M. Levine Physician Responses to Multiple Questionnaire Mailings Eval Rev, December 1, 1990; 14(6): 711 - 722. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. C. King, C. B. Taylor, W. L. Haskell, and R. F. DeBusk Identifying Strategies for Increasing Employee Physical Activity Levels: Findings from the Stanford/Lockheed Exercise Survey Health Educ Behav, January 1, 1990; 17(3): 269 - 285. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|