title: Socio-economic differences in participation of households in a Belgian national health survey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Socio-economic inequalities in health survey participation can jeopardize the extrapolation of the survey findings to the total population. Earlier research, based on aggregated data, showed that in Belgium less-educated people with poor health were less likely to participate in a health survey. In this article, the association by socio-economic status and household non-response in a health survey is examined.
  
  
  METHODS
  A linkage between the Belgian Health Survey 2001 with Census 2001 enabled us to evaluate the participation by socio-economic status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed that the socio-economic position was a determinant of health survey participation: participation rate was significantly lower in households with a lower socio-economic profile.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Socio-economic inequalities in participation can introduce a bias in the health survey findings. Strategies targeting improvement of the participation of lower socio-economic groups need to be considered.
authors.affiliation: 1 OD Public Health and Surveillance, Scientific Institute of Public Health, Bruxelles, Belgium.
authors.forename: Stefaan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Demarest
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Van der Heyden
authors.forename: Rana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Charafeddine
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tafforeau
authors.forename: Herman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Van Oyen
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Van Hal
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D015982:Bias; D003625:Data Collection / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004522:Educational Status; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult