Proposals for Adaptive and Link-Tracing Sampling Designs in Health Surveys

• Activity Number: 66
• Type: Topic Contributed
• Date/Time: Monday, August 12, 2002 : 8:30 AM to 10:20 AM
• Sponsor: Section on Survey Research Methods*
• Author(s): Myron Katzoff*+ and Monroe Sirken and Steven Thompson
• Affiliation(s): National Center for Health Statistics and National Center for Health Statistics and Pennsylvania State University
• Keywords: network sampling ; adaptive sampling ; sample survey design

Abstract

In adaptive sampling designs, the procedure for selecting the sample depends on values of the variable of interest observed during the survey. They can be useful for surveys of populations or monitoring of health events that are highly clustered in space or time. For example, if cases of a rare, contagious disease are encountered in a survey unit, neighboring units can be added to the sample. Link-tracing designs are used in studies of hidden human populations, such as populations of people at high risk for HIV infection or transmission. In such studies, social links are followed from one individual to another to add more members of the hidden population to the sample. Similarly, in national health surveys, link-tracing techniques could be used to increase the representation of underrepresented racial or ethnic groups or subgroups. This paper describes proposals for and a research project currently underway to explore the potential uses of adaptive sampling and link tracing techniques to expand the scope and improve the quality of national health statistics.