Abstract
Background and Objective: Response bias may affect the result of surveys with <100% response rate. We applied methods commonly used in meta-analysis to ascertain the extent to which response bias affects multiwave survey results. Methods: To test hypotheses of between-wave similarity, we used the Cochran-Armitage test for trends and the Q-test of heterogeneity across waves in a survey of 2,127 North American clinicians using six e-mail waves and one fax wave and achieving a response rate of 22%. We used the I2 statistic To quantify the extent of inconsistency in survey outcomes across waves not due to within-wave random error (i.e., inconsistency due to response bias). Results: With this survey, tests of heterogeneity and trend were not significant and I2 equaled 0%. These results suggest that the underlying responses did not differ across waves and thus strengthened the inference that response bias was not affecting the interpretation of the survey. Conclusion: Researchers can use procedures that assess inconsistency in meta-analyses to evaluate the validity of a multiwave survey with a less than optimal response rate.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 856-858 |
Number of pages | 3 |
Journal | Journal of Clinical Epidemiology |
Volume | 58 |
Issue number | 8 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Aug 2005 |
Keywords
- Heterogeneity
- I statistic
- Inconsistency
- Q-test
- Response bias
- Surveys, multiwave
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Epidemiology