title: Subgroups of refusers in a disability prevention trial in older adults: baseline and follow-up analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study explored differences between refusers and participants in a longitudinal study with extensive baseline and follow-up information.
  
  
  METHODS
  Results of a trial comparing 791 participants and 401 community-residing older adults who refused to participate in a study concerning preventive home visits were examined. Information was collected from interviews, insurance records, and government files.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Despite similarities in terms of age, sex, and self-perceived health at baseline, 3-year follow-up data indicated that refusers had a 1.58-fold higher risk of entering a nursing home than participants. There were additional differences between refusers and participants when refusers were categorized in 4 subgroups based on self-reported reason for refusal (too ill, too healthy, no interest, and other reasons).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Future studies should include follow-up data to allow comparisons between refusers and participants and should address the presence of multiple subgroups of refusers.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biostatistics, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, CH-3001 Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Christoph E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Minder
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gillmann
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.forename: Andreas E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Stuck
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006805:Human Experimentation; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018579:Patient Selection; D012307:Risk Factors; D015983:Selection Bias; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology; D016312:Treatment Refusal