Follow-Up Survey Response Rates in Women at Risk for Breast Cancer

• Activity Number: 355
• Type: Contributed
• Date/Time: Tuesday, August 5, 2014 : 11:35 AM to 12:20 PM
• Sponsor: Section on Statistics in Epidemiology
• Author(s): Jeannette Lee*+ and Ishwori Dhakal and Susan Kadlubar
• Companies: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
• Keywords: survey sampling ; breast cancer risk

Abstract

Response rates to follow-up surveys have an impact on the estimation of outcome events. In a cross-sectional study, initial surveys on breast cancer risk factors and mammogram use were obtained in person from 21,852 women residents of Arkansas recruited through breast cancer awareness events from 2007-2013. A random sample of 2200 women stratified by age in years, race and rural/urban residence were selected for a mailed follow-up survey conducted in December 2013. Response rates were assessed one month after mailing and are expected to increase with time. Among women in the sample, 20% were African-American, 47% were college graduates and 71% resided in metropolitan areas. The median age was 35-49 years of age. The overall response rate to date was 19.9%. The response rate varied by age, race, and educational level, but not by urban/rural status. Response rates increased with age and educational level. African-Americans had a lower response rate than those of other racial groups. The variation in survey response rates by demographic characteristics suggests that weights may need to be developed to generalize sample results to the population under study.