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. 2009 Oct;99(10):1806-10.
doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2008.152835. Epub 2009 Aug 20.

Reevaluating the need for concern regarding noncoverage bias in landline surveys

Stephen J Blumberg  1 , Julian V Luke
Affiliations

Reevaluating the need for concern regarding noncoverage bias in landline surveys

Stephen J Blumberg et al. Am J Public Health. 2009 Oct.

Abstract

Objectives: We used recent data to reexamine whether the exclusion of adults from households with no telephone or only wireless phones may bias estimates derived from health-related telephone surveys.

Methods: We calculated the difference between estimates for the full population of adults and estimates for adults with landline phones; data were from the 2007 National Health Interview Survey.

Results: When data from landline telephone surveys were weighted to match demographic characteristics of the full population, bias was generally less than 2 percentage points (range = 0.1-2.4). However, among young adults and low-income adults, we found greater bias (range = 1.7-5.9) for estimates of health insurance, smoking, binge drinking, influenza vaccination, and having a usual place for care.

Conclusions: From 2004 to 2007, the potential for noncoverage bias increased. Bias can be reduced through weighting adjustments. Therefore, telephone surveys limited to landline households may still be appropriate for health surveys of all adults and for surveys of subpopulations regarding health status. However, for some behavioral risk factors and health care service use indicators, caution is warranted when using landline surveys to draw inferences about young or low-income adults.

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References

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    1. Blumberg SJ, Luke JV. Wireless Substitution: Early release of Estimates Based on Data From the National Health Interview Survey, July–December 2007. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics; 2008. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/about/major/nhis/releases.htm. Accessed September 26, 2008
    1. Blumberg SJ, Luke JV. Coverage bias in traditional telephone surveys of low-income and young adults. Public Opin Q 2007;71:734–749
    1. Implementation of Section 6002(b) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993, Annual Report and Analysis of Competitive Market Conditions With Respect to Commercial Mobile Services, Twelfth Report. Washington, DC: Federal Communications Commission; 2008. Available at: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-08-28A1.pdf. Accessed September 26, 2008

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