BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This study examined socioeconomic, lifestyle, and health factors associated with response to annual mail questionnaires in a longitudinal study from 1990 through 2000 within the French GAZEL cohort. METHODS: Twenty thousand six hundred twenty-four participants volunteered in 1989, and received each year a questionnaire. As responding one given year was not independent of responding in other years, mixed models were used to analyze the variables associated with response. RESULTS: Higher response rates were associated with gender (male), age (older), managerial status, and retirement. Smoking and alcohol drinking at baseline were associated with lower participation. Subjects who had at least three sick leaves were less likely to respond, especially for absence for psychiatric and alcohol-related diseases among men. Those who had rated their health as bad at baseline were less prone to respond during the follow-up. Attrition in subsequent response to questionnaires was associated with cancer diagnosis and with episodes of coronary heart disease for men. CONCLUSION: Most of the variables that predicted initial participation were also associated with continued participation during follow-up. Health problems strongly predicted attrition, whereas socioeconomic factors played a weaker role. Withdrawing is a reversible state and considering only one episode of nonparticipation could be misleading.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This study examined socioeconomic, lifestyle, and health factors associated with response to annual mail questionnaires in a longitudinal study from 1990 through 2000 within the French GAZEL cohort. METHODS: Twenty thousand six hundred twenty-four participants volunteered in 1989, and received each year a questionnaire. As responding one given year was not independent of responding in other years, mixed models were used to analyze the variables associated with response. RESULTS: Higher response rates were associated with gender (male), age (older), managerial status, and retirement. Smoking and alcohol drinking at baseline were associated with lower participation. Subjects who had at least three sick leaves were less likely to respond, especially for absence for psychiatric and alcohol-related diseases among men. Those who had rated their health as bad at baseline were less prone to respond during the follow-up. Attrition in subsequent response to questionnaires was associated with cancer diagnosis and with episodes of coronary heart disease for men. CONCLUSION: Most of the variables that predicted initial participation were also associated with continued participation during follow-up. Health problems strongly predicted attrition, whereas socioeconomic factors played a weaker role. Withdrawing is a reversible state and considering only one episode of nonparticipation could be misleading.
Authors: K Alexanderson; M Kivimäki; J E Ferrie; H Westerlund; J Vahtera; A Singh-Manoux; M Melchior; M Zins; M Goldberg; J Head Journal: J Epidemiol Community Health Date: 2011-10-14 Impact factor: 3.710
Authors: Francisco Ramos-Gomez; Lisa H Chung; Rocio Gonzalez Beristain; William Santo; Bonnie Jue; Jane Weintraub; Stuart Gansky Journal: Clin Trials Date: 2008 Impact factor: 2.486
Authors: Jussi Vahtera; Hugo Westerlund; Jane E Ferrie; Jenny Head; Maria Melchior; Archana Singh-Manoux; Marie Zins; Marcel Goldberg; Kristina Alexanderson; Mika Kivimäki Journal: J Epidemiol Community Health Date: 2009-08-13 Impact factor: 3.710
Authors: Maria Melchior; Jane E Ferrie; Kristina Alexanderson; Marcel Goldberg; Mika Kivimaki; Archana Singh-Manoux; Jussi Vahtera; Hugo Westerlund; Marie Zins; Jenny Head Journal: Am J Epidemiol Date: 2010-08-23 Impact factor: 4.897
Authors: Deborah A DeVita; Mary C White; Xin Zhao; Zhanna Kaidarova; Edward L Murphy Journal: BMC Med Res Methodol Date: 2009-03-10 Impact factor: 4.615