What is the price of perfection? The hidden costs of using detailed assessment instruments to measure alcohol consumption.
OBJECTIVE
This article describes results from a study investigating the effects of using long assessment instruments on attrition rates in mailed-out surveys.


METHODS
Participants were randomly assigned to receive one of two versions of a mailed-out survey; one version incorporated a detailed assessment of drinking using the Timeline Follow back method (TLFB; n = 46) and the other employed a brief graduated frequency measure of alcohol consumption (n = 49).


RESULTS
29% fewer respondents who received the TLFB returned any of their survey materials as compared to those respondents who received just the graduated frequency measure (22% vs 51%).


CONCLUSIONS
In some situations, e.g., mailed-out surveys, employing detailed survey instruments may not be justified as the increased respondent burden may result in increased attrition rates.
Cunningham
J A
JA
Addiction Research Foundation, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Ansara
D
D
Wild
T C
TC
Toneatto
T
T
Koski-Jännes
A
A
D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003625:Data Collection / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans