The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

3159.0: Monday, November 11, 2002 - 12:40 PM

Abstract #51126

Recruitment and sampling methods in a population-based epidemiologic study: The Boston Area Community Health (BACH) Survey

Jenifer Allsworth, PhD, Stephanie Fonda, PhD, Carol Link, PhD, Kevin Smith, MA, and John B. McKinlay, PhD. New England Research Institutes, 9 Galen Street, Watertown, MA 02472

The BACH Survey is a population-based random-sample epidemiologic survey designed to provide baseline and longitudinal data on urologic conditions in Hispanic, African-American, and Caucasian men and women aged 30-79 years. Data on medical history, lifestyle, quality of life, access to care, and an inventory of urologic symptoms will be gathered during in-home interviews. Recruitment of 6,000 adults (n=1,000 per race/ethnic and gender group) is underway using a stratified single stage cluster design. The sample is being collected in 6 batches, each of which can be considered as a random sample, allowing potential sub-studies to be done using only one or two batches. Boston census blocks have been organized into 12 strata based on 4 geographic areas and racial/ethnic density (low density African-American and Hispanic, high density African-American, and high density Hispanic). To ensure adequate sampling of each group, stratum sampling fractions that allow the average design effect to be no higher than 1.5 were chosen, resulting in sampling fractions of 10% for the low-density areas, 10% for the African-American areas, and 70% for the Hispanic areas. The challenges and costs of obtaining population-based prevalence estimates are being explored in a sub-study to compare area household enumeration requiring a data collector to visit each household with the residence documentation available from the Massachusetts town census lists for both completeness and economy in recruiting the BACH cohort. A presentation on the Survey recruitment will provide insight into the coverage and cost of recruitment methods that may inform the design of future investigations.

Learning Objectives:

Keywords: Community Research, Reproductive Health Research

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Rewards and Challenges of Community-Based Health Studies

The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA