title: Effects of an introductory letter on response rates to a teen/parent telephone health survey.
abstract: The authors conducted a pilot study in preparation for a larger investigation that will rely on telephone surveys to assess select health behaviors of teens and their parents, with a focus on indoor tanning. This study used a randomized design to assess the impact of a presurvey letter on response rates to a telephone survey, as well as prevalence estimates of ever having used an indoor tanning facility. The letter did not have a significant effect on response rates or prevalence estimates in the two cities under study. Findings suggest that researchers should not assume that a letter sent in advance of a telephone survey will necessarily increase response rates enough to justify their use.
authors.affiliation: San Diego State University, USA.
authors.forename: Susan I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Woodruff
authors.forename: Joni A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Clapp
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D003256:Community Participation; D003237:Connecticut; D015709:Correspondence as Topic; D015438:Health Behavior; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D010290:Parents; D013022:South Carolina