Customizing survey instruments and data collection to reach Hispanic/Latino adults in border communities in Texas.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to modify an instrument and to use it to collect information on smoking knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors among Hispanics/Latinos, and to adapt survey methods to obtain high participation levels. Methods. Promotoras (outreach workers) conducted face-to-face interviews with 1485 Hispanic adults (July 2007-April 2008). The project team used GeoFrame field enumeration methods to develop a sampling frame from households in randomly selected colonias (residential areas along the Texas-Mexico border that may lack some basic necessities (e.g. portable water), in El Paso, Texas.


RESULTS
The revised questionnaire included 36 unchanged items from the State Adult Tobacco Survey, 7 modified items, and 17 new items focusing on possible culturally specific quitting methods, secondhand smoke issues, and attitudes and knowledge about tobacco use that might be unique for Hispanic/Latino groups. The eligibility rate was 90.2%, and the conservative combined completed screener and interview response rate was 80.0%.


CONCLUSIONS
Strategic, targeted, carefully designed methods and surveys can achieve high reach and response rates in hard-to-reach populations. Similar procedures could be used to obtain cooperation of groups who may not be accessible with traditional methods.
O'Hegarty
Michelle
M
Office and Smoking and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341-3717, USA. mohegarty@cdc.gov
Pederson
Linda L
LL
Thorne
Stacy L
SL
Caraballo
Ralph S
RS
Evans
Brian
B
Athey
Leslie
L
McMichael
Joseph
J
D000328:Adult; D054521:Cultural Competency; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006306:Health Surveys; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult