Comparability of telephone and household breast cancer screening surveys with differing response rates

We compared telephone and household surveys as methods for obtaining information about breast cancer screening. The study population was comprised of women age 40 years or older who were permanent residents of two large areas of Florida. We contacted women using random digit dialing for the telephone survey. We used a stratified multistage design for the household survey. Response rates were 49% (telephone) and 77% (household). Distributions of most screening (mammography, clinical examination, and breast self-examination) and demographic variables were comparable for the two surveys; income was higher in the telephone survey. Both surveys underestimated the proportion of older women, based on 1990 Census data.