Inclusion of mobile phone numbers into an ongoing population health survey in New South Wales, Australia: design, methods, call outcomes, costs and sample representativeness

Authors

Margo Barr, University of WollongongFollow
Jason J. Van Ritten, NSW Ministry of Health
David G. Steel, University of WollongongFollow
Sarah V. Thackway, NSW Ministry of Health

RIS ID

74975

Publication Details

Barr, M., Van Ritten, J. J., Steel, D. G. & Thackway, S. V. (2012). Inclusion of mobile phone numbers into an ongoing population health survey in New South Wales, Australia: design, methods, call outcomes, costs and sample representativeness. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 12 (177), 1-9.

Abstract

Background: In Australia telephone surveys have been the method of choice for ongoing jurisdictional population health surveys. Although it was estimated in 2011 that nearly 20% of the Australian population were mobile-only phone users, the inclusion of mobile phone numbers into these existing landline population health surveys has not occurred. This paper describes the methods used for the inclusion of mobile phone numbers into an existing ongoing landline random digit dialling (RDD) health survey in an Australian state, the New South Wales Population Health Survey (NSWPHS). This paper also compares the call outcomes, costs and the representativeness of the resultant sample to that of the previous landline sample.