Designing and Conducting Health Surveys

Designing and Conducting Health Surveys is written for students, teachers, researchers, and anyone who conducts health surveys. This third edition of the standard reference in the field draws heavily on the most recent methodological research on survey design and the rich storehouse of insights and implications provided by cognitive research on question and questionnaire design in particular. This important resource presents a total survey error framework that is a useful compass for charting the dangerous waters between systematic and random errors that inevitably accompany the survey design enterprise. In addition, three new studies based on national, international, and state and local surveys the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys, California Health Interview Survey, and National Dental Malpractice Survey are detailed that illustrate the range of design alternatives available at each stage of developing a survey and provide a sound basis for choosing among them.

Designing and Conducting Health Surveys is written for students, teachers, researchers, and anyone who conducts health surveys. This third edition of the standard reference in the field draws heavily on the most recent methodological research on survey design and the rich storehouse of insights and implications provided by cognitive research on question and questionnaire design in particular. This important resource presents a total survey error framework that is a useful compass for charting the dangerous waters between systematic and random errors that inevitably accompany the survey design enterprise. In addition, three new studies based on national, international, and state and local surveys--the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys, California Health Interview Survey, and National Dental Malpractice Survey--are detailed that illustrate the range of design alternatives available at each stage of developing a survey and provide a sound basis for choosing among them.

Figures, Tables, and Exhibits viiForeword by Steven B. Cohen xiPreface xvThe Authors xxi1 Thinking About Topics for Health Surveys 12 Matching the Survey Design to Survey Objectives 273 Defining and Clarifying the Survey Variables 484 Thinking Through the Relationships Between Variables 815 Choosing the Methods of Data Collection 1006 Deciding Who Will Be in the Sample 1247 Deciding How Many Will Be in the Sample 1548 General Principles for Formulating Questions 1949 Formulating Questions About Health 22110 Formulating Questions About Demographics and Behavior 24511 Formulating Questions About Knowledge and Attitudes 26812 Guidelines for Formatting the Questionnaire 28813 Monitoring and Carrying Out the Survey 31114 Preparing the Data for Analysis 34015 Planning and Implementing the Analysis of the Data 36016 Writing the Research Report 391Resource A: Personal Interview Survey: UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS-2)--End-Decade Study 405Resource B: Telephone Interview Survey: California Health Interview Survey (CHIS)--2001 407Resource C: Mail Questionnaire Survey: National Dental Malpractice Survey 408Resource D: Selected Sources on Health Surveys 433Resource E: Selected Examples of Health Surveys 442References 451Name Index 495Subject Index 505