title: Mobile phones are a viable option for surveying young Australian women: a comparison of two telephone survey methods.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Households with fixed-line telephones have decreased while mobile (cell) phone ownership has increased. We therefore sought to examine the feasibility of recruiting young women for a national health survey through random digit dialling mobile phones.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two samples of women aged 18 to 39 years were surveyed by random digit dialling fixed and mobile numbers. We compared participation rates and responses to a questionnaire between women surveyed by each contact method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After dialling 5,390 fixed-lines and 3,697 mobile numbers, 140 and 128 women were recruited respectively. Among women contacted and found to be eligible, participation rates were 74% for fixed-lines and 88% for mobiles. Taking into account calls to numbers where eligibility was unknown (e.g. unanswered calls) the estimated response rates were 54% and 45% respectively. Of women contacted by fixed-line, 97% reported having a mobile while 61% of those contacted by mobile reported having a fixed-line at home. After adjusting for age, there were no significant differences between mobile-only and fixed-line responders with respect to education, residence, and various health behaviours; however compared to those with fixed-lines, mobile-only women were more likely to identify as Indigenous (OR 4.99, 95%CI 1.52-16.34) and less likely to live at home with their parents (OR 0.09, 95%CI 0.03-0.29).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Random digit dialling mobile phones to conduct a health survey in young Australian women is feasible, gives a comparable response rate and a more representative sample than dialling fixed-lines only. Telephone surveys of young women should include mobile dialling.
authors: The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. bliu@kirby.unsw.edu.au
authors: Bette
authors: B
authors: Liu
authors: Julia M L
authors: JM
authors: Brotherton
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Shellard
authors: Basil
authors: B
authors: Donovan
authors: Marion
authors: M
authors: Saville
authors: John M
authors: JM
authors: Kaldor
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D040421:Cell Phone; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013689:Telephone; D055815:Young Adult