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Age and response rates to interview sample surveys.

A R Herzog¹, W L Rodgers

¹Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Journal of Gerontology

|November 1, 1988

Summary

Survey response rates decrease as participants get older. This study examined data from large surveys, finding a linear decline in response rates with increasing age, particularly affecting elderly individuals.

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Area of Science:

Sociology
Statistics
Survey Methodology

Background:

Response rates are crucial indicators of survey data quality.
Understanding demographic factors influencing response rates is essential for accurate research.
Previous research has suggested age may impact participation, but systematic analysis is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the relationship between participant age and survey response rates.
To analyze age-specific response rates across different survey types.
To identify potential reasons for and implications of age-related response rate disparities.

Main Methods:

Review of standard definitions for general and age-specific response rates.
Systematic assessment of response rate data from large-scale interview sample surveys.
Examination of response rates in panel resurveys across different age groups.

Main Results:

A consistent linear decline in survey response rates was observed with increasing participant age.
This age-related decline was evident in both interview sample surveys and panel resurveys.
The statistical significance of the observed decline varied across different datasets.

Conclusions:

Older adults exhibit lower survey response rates compared to younger individuals.
The findings highlight potential biases in research relying on survey data from aging populations.
Further investigation into the causes and consequences of low elderly response rates is warranted.

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