Open AccessSelection of elderly controls using random digit dialing.
Author(s) -
Geary W. Olsen,
Jeffrey S. Mandel
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
american journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.284
H-Index - 264
eISSN - 1541-0048
pISSN - 0090-0036
DOI - 10.2105/ajph.78.11.1487
Subject(s) - random digit dialing , numerical digit , gerontology , elderly people , telephone interview , selection (genetic algorithm) , demography , population , telephone survey , medicine , environmental health , computer science , advertising , arithmetic , mathematics , social science , artificial intelligence , sociology , business
The experience of identifying and soliciting elderly male controls, using a nonclustered random digit dialing procedure in a case-control study, is presented. For elderly controls (ages 65-84) 3.5 times more residential telephone numbers were required than for controls encompassing a much broader age range (ages 40-84). This is a function of the proportion of elderly in the population and their lower response to telephone identification. Elderly controls, age 70 and older, also had lower participation rates.