ArticleBMC medical research methodology2021
A framework for exploring non-response patterns over time in health surveys.
Article in BMC medical research methodology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 25 papers.
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Who cites it
25 citing papers in PubMed.
- Improving postal survey response using behavioural science: a nested randomised control trial.BMC medical research methodology · 2021Trial
- Burnout prevalence in 2012, 2018 and 2024 among general practitioners in Norway and factors associated with burnout.Scandinavian journal of primary health care · 2026Article
- Changes in Migraine-Related Outcomes and Functioning at 1 Year: Results of the Longitudinal OVERCOME (US) Study.Neurology and therapy · 2026Article
- Characteristics of participants and nonparticipants in a population based diagnostic survey of mental and substance use disorders. A follow-up study of the Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT).Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology · 2026Article
- Patient Perspectives to Inform Co-creation of Wearable-Derived Digital Biomarkers for Early Flare Detection and Management in IBD: A Survey-Based Study.Digestive diseases and sciences · 2026Article
- Article
- Correction for Participation Bias in Nonprobability Samples Using Multiple Reference Surveys.Statistics in medicine · 2026Article
- Factors Affecting Nonresponse Among Female Participants in the Korea Nurses' Health Study: Longitudinal Cohort Survey Study.JMIR public health and surveillance · 2025Article
- Using administrative register data for adjusting non-response bias in the finnish gambling harms survey.BMC public health · 2025Article
- The impact of reminders on representativeness and survey estimates among web-mode invited in the Danish National Health Survey.European journal of public health · 2025Article
- Impostor phenomenon and its association with perceived stress and anxiety among students in medical and social sciences at a Swedish university.Frontiers in medicine · 2025Article
- Integrating public engagement to promote transparent data use in a new UK-wide birth cohort.International journal of population data science · 2025Article
- Non-participation in a health examination survey in a rural-provincial area of Denmark - results from the Lolland-Falster Health Study (LOFUS).Scandinavian journal of public health · 2024Article
- The PopHEAD study: a population-based, cross-sectional study on headache burden in Norway: methods and validation of questionnaire-based diagnoses.The journal of headache and pain · 2024Article
- Training healthcare professionals in assessment of health needs in older adults living at home: a scoping review.BMC medical education · 2024Article
- Citizens' digital footprints to support health promotion at the local level-PUHTI study, Finland.European journal of public health · 2024Article
- Association between chronic pain and attrition: a prospective analysis of a national sample of midlife adults in the USA, 2004-2014.BMJ public health · 2024Article
- The Brief Symptom Inventory in the Swiss general population: Presentation of norm scores and predictors of psychological distress.PloS one · 2024Article
- Analysis of factors associated with patient-reported outcome (PRO) score completion rate one year after shoulder surgeries.JSES international · 2024Article
- A review of excluded groups and non-response in population-based mental health surveys from high-income countries.Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology · 2023Review
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4 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundMost health surveys have experienced a decline in response rates. A structured approach to evaluate whether a decreasing - and potentially more selective - response over time biased estimated trends in health behaviours is lacking. We developed a framework to explore the role of differential non-response over time. This framework was applied to a repeated cross-sectional survey in which the response rate gradually declined.
methodsWe used data from a survey conducted biannually between 1995 and 2017 in the city of Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Information on the sociodemographic determinants of age, sex, and ethnicity was available for respondents and non-respondents. The main outcome measures of prevalence of sport participation and watching TV were only available for respondents. The framework consisted of four steps: 1) investigating the sociodemographic determinants of responding to the survey and the difference in response over time between sociodemographic groups; 2) estimating variation in health behaviour over time; 3) comparing weighted and unweighted prevalence estimates of health behaviour over time; and 4) comparing associations between sociodemographic determinants and health behaviour over time.
resultsThe overall response rate per survey declined from 47% in 1995 to 15% in 2017. The probability of responding was higher among older people, females, and those with a Western background. The response rate declined in all subgroups, and a faster decline was observed among younger persons and those with a non-Western ethnicity as compared to older persons and those with a Western ethnicity. Variation in health behaviours remained constant. Prevalence estimates and associations did not follow the changes in response over time. On the contrary, the difference in probability of participating in sport gradually decreased between males and females, while no differential change in the response rate was observed.
conclusionsProviding insights on non-response patterns over time is essential to understand whether declines in response rates may have influenced estimated trends in health behaviours. The framework outlined in this study can be used for this purpose. In our example, in spite of a major decline in response rate, there was no evidence that the risk of non-response bias increased over time.
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