@article {Vestbo617, author = {J Vestbo and F V Rasmussen}, title = {Baseline characteristics are not sufficient indicators of non-response bias follow up studies.}, volume = {46}, number = {6}, pages = {617--619}, year = {1992}, doi = {10.1136/jech.46.6.617}, publisher = {BMJ Publishing Group Ltd}, abstract = {STUDY OBJECTIVE--The aim was to examine whether baseline characteristics from a cross sectional survey provided sufficient information regarding non-response bias in a follow up study when compared with information on hospital admissions in the intervening years. DESIGN--This was an 11 year follow up study of a cohort selected in 1974 with register information on hospital admissions during follow up. SETTING--The study was based on a sample of cement workers from a particular Portland cement factory with suitable controls from other occupations. PARTICIPANTS--A total of 1404 men participated in the first survey in 1974, including a questionnaire and lung function tests. In 1985 1070 men were alive and of these, 928 men (87\%) responded to a postal questionnaire. MAIN RESULTS--Non-responders in 1985 did not differ markedly from responders when smoking habits, respiratory symptoms, and lung function were examined in 1974. During follow up, non-responders had twice as high rates of hospital admission due to respiratory diseases as responders. These differences remained present after adjusting for minor differences in age and smoking habits. CONCLUSIONS--Equal distributions of baseline characteristics among responders and non-responders in a follow up study do not preclude non-response bias.}, issn = {0143-005X}, URL = {https://jech.bmj.com/content/46/6/617}, eprint = {https://jech.bmj.com/content/46/6/617.full.pdf}, journal = {Journal of Epidemiology \& Community Health} }