Prendergast M J, Beal J F, Williams S A
Dental Public Health Unit, Leeds Health Authority, UK.
Community Dent Health. 1993 Sep;10(3):225-34.
Non-response bias is a potentially serious problem in studies involving human subjects. A parental questionnaire/negative consent form was used in a dental epidemiological survey of 5-year-old children in Leeds. The aim of this study was to determine whether and to what extent there was any variation in caries experience and oral cleanliness between responding and non-responding groups. 6,494 children were examined and completed questionnaires were returned for 4,069 (63 per cent). The response was higher for white children (65 per cent) than for Asian (39 per cent) and Afro-Caribbean children (45 per cent). Lower response rates were found from parents living in inner city areas associated with social deprivation. Children of non-responders had poorer oral cleanliness and higher caries experience (mean dmft). This study demonstrated that members of a non-response group are likely to be substantially different from responders.
无应答偏倚在涉及人类受试者的研究中是一个潜在的严重问题。在利兹对5岁儿童进行的一项牙科流行病学调查中使用了家长问卷/消极同意书。本研究的目的是确定应答组和无应答组之间在龋齿经历和口腔清洁度方面是否存在差异以及差异程度如何。共检查了6494名儿童，4069份问卷（63%）被返还。白人儿童的应答率（65%）高于亚裔儿童（39%）和非裔加勒比儿童（45%）。居住在与社会剥夺相关联的市中心内城区的家长的应答率较低。无应答者的孩子口腔清洁度较差，龋齿经历（平均dmft）较高。本研究表明，无应答组的成员可能与应答者有很大不同。
