Department of Lifestyle and Participation, National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Mannerheimintie 166, PO Box 30, FI-00271 Helsinki, Finland.
J Clin Epidemiol. 2011 Dec;64(12):1418-25. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2011.04.003. Epub 2011 Jul 20.
To examine nonparticipation in a survey by linking it with register information and identify potential nonresponse bias of inequalities in health status among aging people.
Cross-sectional questionnaire survey with clinical checkups carried out in 2002 among persons born in 1926-1930, 1936-1940, and 1946-1950 in Southern Finland. The sample was linked with register information from Statistics Finland and analyzed in terms of participation and health status as measured by medicine reimbursements.
Participation in the survey was more frequent among those who were older, female, married or cohabiting, higher educated and nonurban residents, and those with higher income and moderate health. Among nonrespondents, women were less healthy than men, whereas among respondents, the results were reversed. Among nonrespondents, better income was associated with unfavorable health. Poor health was generally more common among nonrespondents than respondents in several subgroups.
Differences in response rates were found in sociodemographic factors, health, and socioeconomic position. Favorable health was generally more frequent among respondents than nonrespondents. In particular, health inequalities by gender and income differed between respondents and nonrespondents. Thus, nonresponse may lead to bias in analyses of health inequalities among aging people.
通过将调查中的不参与情况与登记信息联系起来，确定健康状况不平等的老龄化人群中潜在的无应答偏倚。
2002 年在芬兰南部对 1926-1930 年、1936-1940 年和 1946-1950 年出生的人群进行了横断面问卷调查和临床检查。该样本与芬兰统计局的登记信息相关联，并根据医学报销衡量的参与情况和健康状况进行了分析。
在年龄较大、女性、已婚或同居、受教育程度较高和非城市居民、收入较高和健康状况中等的人群中，参与调查的频率更高。在未应答者中，女性的健康状况不如男性，而在应答者中，结果则相反。在未应答者中，较好的收入与不利的健康状况有关。在几个亚组中，健康状况较差的非应答者通常比应答者更为常见。
在社会人口统计学因素、健康和社会经济地位方面发现了应答率的差异。在应答者中，健康状况通常比未应答者更为常见。特别是，性别和收入方面的健康不平等在应答者和未应答者之间存在差异。因此，无应答可能导致对老龄化人群健康不平等的分析产生偏差。
