Components of nonresponse in mail surveys of dental hygienists

This study was designed to investigate the reporting of nonresponse in mail survey research and to determine if nonresponse as a result of inaccurate addresses varied by sampling frame. Nonresponse bias is defined as researchers' inability to contact some members of a sample, or the refusal of some sample members to provide information.

Published survey research articles in the Journal of Dental Hygiene from 1988 through 1992 were reviewed for nonresponse information. Thirty-nine articles described studies that met the requirements of being a mail survey of dental hygiene subjects. All 39 articles included information about the population base and the number of subjects in the sample. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data.

Response rates ranging from 33% to 92% were reported in 37 articles. Only 15 of the 37 articles included information on the ability to contact subjects. The percentage of subjects who could not be contacted ranged from 1.1% to 13.3%. Professional organization membership rosters provided the most accurate mailing lists, followed by school class rosters. Least accurate were licensure lists and magazine lists.

More attention to research design may help dental hygiene researchers recognize the impact of nonresponse bias.