PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - L Janzon
AU  - B S Hanson
AU  - S O Isacsson
AU  - S E Lindell
AU  - B Steen
TI  - Factors influencing participation in health surveys. Results from prospective population study 'Men born in 1914' in Malmö, Sweden.
AID  - 10.1136/jech.40.2.174
DP  - 1986 Jun 01
TA  - Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
PG  - 174--177
VI  - 40
IP  - 2
4099  - http://jech.bmj.com/content/40/2/174.short
4100  - http://jech.bmj.com/content/40/2/174.full
SO  - J Epidemiol Community Health1986 Jun 01; 40
AB  - Base line data together with data in public registers and a structured phone interview of 94 of the 121 non-attenders was used for an assessment of factors influencing participation in the prospective population study 'Men born in 1914' in Malmö, Sweden. The overall attendance rate was 80.5% but varied among areas in the city from 27% to 100%. The lower participation rate among single men remained, when correcting for social class, significant only for single men in social class III. Men who did not feel well and/or had been admitted to hospital during the last 12 months had a lower participation rate. A negative attitude towards health surveys in general was the most common reason for non-participation. The phone interview turned out to be a feasible method to reach non-attenders to assess whether the sample was representative of the population and to learn more about reasons for non-participation.