Annals of Epidemiology
Volume 15, Issue 3 , Pages 232-235, March 2005

Random Digit Dialing and Directory-based Samples in Telephone Surveys of HIV Risk: A Comparison from the Australian Study of Health and Relationships

  • Anthony M.A. Smith, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress correspondence to: Dr. Anthony Smith, Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University, 215 Franklin Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia. Tel.: +61-03-9285-5304; Fax: +61-03-2985-5220.
    • ,
  • Richard O. de Visser, PhD
    • ,
  • Chris E. Rissel, PhD

From the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia (A.M.A.S.); School of Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia (R.O.D.V.); Health Promotion Unit, Central Sydney Area Health Service, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia (C.E.R.); and Australian Centre for Health Promotion, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia (C.E.R.)

Received 22 January 2004; accepted 17 June 2004. published online 07 October 2004.

Purpose

To compare the estimates of HIV-related risk derived from a sample drawn through random digit dialing and that component of the sample drawn from households listed in a telephone directory.

Methods

The prevalence of key outcomes, and their 95% confidence intervals, was estimated for the total sample and for that component of the sample drawn from households listed in a telephone directory.

Results

On all outcome measures the sample derived from listed households was more conservative. With few exceptions, the estimates derived from the overall sample and from listed households were not significantly different.

Conclusion

A continued reliance on random digit dialing seems unwarranted.

Key words: Epidemiology, Statistics, Knowledge/Attitudes/Practice Studies, Sexual Behavior, Risk Factors

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 This study was made possible through funding from the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, the National Health and Medical Research Council, the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation, the health departments of New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia, and the Central Sydney Area Health Service. Our work was supported by the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society (La Trobe University), Central Sydney Area Health Service and the Australian Centre for Health Promotion (University of Sydney), the National Centre in HIV Social Research (University of New South Wales), and the National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research (University of New South Wales).

PII: S1047-2797(04)00239-X

doi:10.1016/j.annepidem.2004.06.003

Annals of Epidemiology
Volume 15, Issue 3 , Pages 232-235, March 2005

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