The Best of Both Worlds: A Sampling Frame Based on Address-Based Sampling and Field Enumeration

• Activity Number: 654
• Type: Topic Contributed
• Date/Time: Thursday, August 5, 2010 : 10:30 AM to 12:20 PM
• Sponsor: Section on Survey Research Methods
• Author(s): Vincent G. Iannacchione*+ and Katherine Morton and Joseph P. McMichael and Bonnie Shook-Sa and Jamie L. Ridenhour and Stephanie J. Stolzenberg and David Bergeron and James R. Chromy and Art Hughes
• Companies: RTI International and RTI International and RTI International and RTI International and RTI International and RTI International and RTI International and RTI International and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• Keywords: in-person surveys ; frame coverage ; frame-linking procedures

Abstract

Cost savings are the primary advantage of using address-based sampling (ABS) over field enumeration (FE) for in-person surveys of the civilian, non-institutionalized population. These cost savings are tempered by research which indicates that FE provides more complete coverage than ABS, especially in rural areas. We developed and piloted a candidate sampling frame for the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) that uses ABS supplemented with a frame-linking procedure in area segments where we anticipate adequate ABS coverage and FE in segments where we anticipate poor ABS coverage. The objective of the candidate frame is to lower costs without sacrificing coverage levels of the current NSDUH sampling frame which is based solely on FE. We report on the trade-offs between coverage and cost savings as area segments are shifted from FE to ABS.