Abstract #301091

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JSM 2003 Abstract #301091
Activity Number: 172
Type: Contributed
Date/Time: Monday, August 4, 2003 : 2:00 PM to 3:50 PM
Sponsor: Section on Survey Research Methods
Abstract - #301091
Title: Using Alternate Address Information to Increase Response Among Active-duty Personnel
Author(s): Nancy A. Clusen*+ and Esther M. Friedman and Mike Hartzell
Companies: Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. and Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. and U.S. Department of Defense
Address: 600 Maryland Ave. SW, Washington, DC, 20024-2520,
Keywords: Nonresponse ; Mail survey ; Social surveys-Response rate
Abstract:

The Health Care Survey of DoD beneficiaries monitors the opinions and experiences of military health system beneficiaries. Currently, questionnaires are mailed to beneficiaries at their residential address, yet previous studies indicate that one-quarter of beneficiaries have an incorrect address on the sample frame. For active-duty beneficiaries, the residential address may not be updated as often as the military unit address; moreover, these beneficiaries may or may not receive mail more easily at their unit address. It is therefore difficult to know which mailing address is more appropriate. This phenomenon is not unique and may be observed among other populations, e.g., college students. To improve our understanding of response among active-duty personnel, we randomly assigned a subsample of active-duty beneficiaries to receive their questionnaires at their unit address. The analysis compares treatment and control groups in three areas: rate of nonresponse, characteristics of survey respondents and nonrespondents, and responses to survey items. This study concludes with a discussion of the implications of the findings on survey operations and statistical procedures.

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