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Mode effects on self-reported alcohol use and problem drinking: mail questionnaires and personal interviewing

I M Bongers1, J A Van Oers

  • 1Addiction Research Institute, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Journal of Studies on Alcohol
|May 23, 1998
PubMed
Summary

Mail surveys and personal interviews yield comparable data on alcohol use and related problems. This study found no significant differences in self-reported drinking behavior between the two methods for the general population.

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Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology
  • Survey Methodology

Background:

  • Accurate estimation of self-reported drinking behavior is crucial for public health research.
  • Existing research on data collection methods for alcohol use yields inconsistent findings.
  • Comparing mail surveys and personal interviews is essential to determine reliable data collection strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the quality of self-reported alcohol use and alcohol-related problems data collected via mail survey versus personal interviews.
  • To identify potential differences in response rates, item nonresponse, and background factors between the two data collection methods.

Main Methods:

  • A general population survey on alcohol use was conducted in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
  • A random sample of 8,000 adults (aged 16-69) was surveyed.

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  • Data collection involved both mailed questionnaires (n=7,500) and personal interviews (n=500), with an overall response rate of 44%.

    • Main Results:

    • No significant differences were observed in self-reported alcohol use, alcohol-related problems, or problem drinking between mail survey and personal interview respondents.
    • These findings were consistent across the total general population, as well as for men and women analyzed separately.
    • Personal interviews showed a slightly higher overall response rate, but no significant differences in item nonresponse or background characteristics were detected.

    Conclusions:

    • Both mail surveys and personal interviews are reliable and comparable methods for collecting data on self-reported drinking behavior.
    • The choice of data collection method does not appear to significantly impact the validity of estimates for alcohol use and related problems.
    • These findings support the use of either method for surveying alcohol consumption in the general population, including specific demographic groups.