Hermans Lize, Braekman Elise, Drieskens Sabine, Demarest Stefaan
Sciensano, Scientific Direction Public Health and Epidemiology, Juliette Wytsmanstraat 14, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium.
Arch Public Health. 2022 Jun 10;80(1):155. doi: 10.1186/s13690-022-00909-z.
The local Health Interview Study (LHIS) was developed to gain health information at the level of the municipality in Flanders, the northern part of Belgium. It enables municipalities to make evidence-based decisions in their public health policy. To test the feasibility of implementing the LHIS, a pilot study was conducted in Melle, a small Flemish municipality with 11.736 inhabitants.
The target sample size was 1000 (≥ 15 years). A systematic sampling technique was applied with substitutes for non-respondents who were matched in terms of statistical sector, age and sex. Selected persons were contacted by post to complete the questionnaire and in case of non-response, a reminder was sent. Questionnaires were collected using a concurrent mixed-mode design: a paper and pencil, and web option. All questions were selected from the Belgian Health Interview Survey relating to health status and determinants of health.
One thousand twenty-two questionnaires were obtained after inviting 3137 individuals (response rate = 32.6%). Older adults were more likely to participate than younger adults, and women more than men. The final sample resembled the initial sample in terms of sex and statistical sector, but not in terms of age. Younger adults were underrepresented whereas older adults were overrepresented. Lastly, older adults were more likely to fill in the questionnaire on paper than younger adults, and women more than men.
The LHIS can be successfully implemented in Flemish municipalities. The method, however, does not guarantee that the composition of the final sample reflects the initial sample. Therefore, weights should be added in the analyses to correct for potential deviations in sample composition. Furthermore, implementing a sequential mixed-mode design with a web option preceding a paper and pencil option in future studies could reduce costs and improve data quality.
当地健康访谈研究（LHIS）旨在获取比利时北部弗拉芒大区各市政当局层面的健康信息。它使各市政当局能够在其公共卫生政策中做出基于证据的决策。为了测试实施LHIS的可行性，在梅勒进行了一项试点研究，梅勒是一个拥有11736名居民的小型弗拉芒市政当局。
目标样本量为1000人（≥15岁）。采用系统抽样技术，并对在统计区域、年龄和性别方面匹配的无应答者进行替代。通过邮寄方式联系选定人员以完成问卷，如无应答，则发送提醒。问卷采用并行混合模式设计收集：纸笔和网络选项。所有问题均选自比利时健康访谈调查中与健康状况和健康决定因素相关的内容。
在邀请3137人后获得了1022份问卷（应答率=32.6%）。老年人比年轻人更有可能参与，女性比男性更有可能参与。最终样本在性别和统计区域方面与初始样本相似，但在年龄方面并非如此。年轻人代表性不足，而老年人代表性过高。最后，老年人比年轻人更有可能以纸笔方式填写问卷，女性比男性更有可能。
LHIS可在弗拉芒市政当局成功实施。然而，该方法不能保证最终样本的构成反映初始样本。因此，在分析中应添加权重以纠正样本构成的潜在偏差。此外，在未来的研究中实施先网络选项后纸笔选项的顺序混合模式设计可以降低成本并提高数据质量。
