Feasibility of comparing risk profiles for cervical cancer between participants and nonparticipants in a screening programme.
OBJECTIVE
Feasibility of comparing risk profiles by questionnaire of participants and nonparticipants in a cervical screening programme: does asking information on sexual behaviour by means of a questionnaire lead to high non-response? is the non-response selective (related to participation in the screening) and if so how can we limit this?


METHODS
A postal survey on risk factors for cervical cancer, including sexual behaviour, in a group of participants and nonparticipants.


METHODS
Two villages, Wijchen and Beuningen, situated near Nijmegen in The Netherlands.


METHODS
139 participants and 99 nonparticipants in the national screening programme in 1989 or 1990.


RESULTS
Overall, the response to the questionnaire was high: 83%. Collecting the questionnaire by asking the women to return it by mail in a stamped addressed envelope and one reminder by phone showed a response rate of 79%. This response was selective: 93% of the participants in the screening responded and 61% of the nonparticipants. Collecting them personally showed an extremely high response of 96% which was not selective. Only 3 respondents did not answer the questions about sexual behaviour.


CONCLUSIONS
Obtaining information on sexual behaviour by questionnaire is feasible. Selective response can be limited by an extremely high response rate, which can be achieved by collecting the questionnaires personally.
Kant
A
A
Department of Pathology, University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Palm
I
I
van den Hoogen
H
H
van Weel
C
C
D000328:Adult; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012107:Research Design; D012307:Risk Factors; D015983:Selection Bias; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*