Baseline participation in a health examination survey of the population 65 years and older: who is missed and why?

BMC Geriatrics

Research Article

Peter Martus¹  Ina Seitz²  Christa Scheidt-Nave²  Beate Gaertner²  Judith Fuchs²  Markus A. Busch²  Martin Holzhausen³ 

[1] Department of Clinicial Epidemiology and Applied Biometry, Eberhard Karls Universität, Silcherstr. 5, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany;Department of Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Robert-Koch-Institute, General-Pape-Str. 62-66, D-12101, Berlin, Germany;Institute of Biometry and Clinical Epidemiology, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, D-12203, Berlin, Germany;

关键词: Aging population;    Non-participation;    Public health monitoring;    Reasons for non-participation;    Register-based population;    Selection bias;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12877-016-0185-6

 received in 2015-08-31, accepted in 2016-01-04,  发布年份 2016

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundPublic health monitoring depends on valid health and disability estimates in the population 65+ years. This is hampered by high non-participation rates in this age group. There is limited insight into size and direction of potential baseline selection bias.MethodsWe analyzed baseline non-participation in a register-based random sample of 1481 inner-city residents 65+ years, invited to a health examination survey according to demographics available for the entire sample, self-report information as available and reasons for non-participation. One year after recruitment, non-responders were revisited to assess their reasons.ResultsFive groups defined by participation status were differentiated: participants (N = 299), persons who had died or moved (N = 173), those who declined participation, but answered a short questionnaire (N = 384), those who declined participation and the short questionnaire (N = 324), and non-responders (N = 301). The results confirm substantial baseline selection bias with significant underrepresentation of persons 85+ years, persons in residential care or from disadvantaged neighborhoods, with lower education, foreign citizenship, or lower health-related quality of life. Finally, reasons for non-participation could be identified for 78 % of all non-participants, including 183 non-responders.ConclusionA diversity in health problems and barriers to participation exists among non-participants. Innovative study designs are needed for public health monitoring in aging populations.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Gaertner et al. 2016