Subgroups of refusers in a disability prevention trial in older adults: baseline and follow-up analysis.
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.
Minder
Christoph E
CE
Division of Biostatistics, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, CH-3001 Bern, Switzerland.
Müller
Tobias
T
Gillmann
Gerhard
G
Beck
John C
JC
Stuck
Andreas E
AE
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