title: Participation in questionnaire studies among couples affected by breast cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Participation bias may be a problem in couple-based psychosocial studies. Therefore, it is important to investigate the characteristics associated with participation. The aim of this study was to analyze whether participation in a longitudinal psychosocial questionnaire study among couples affected by breast cancer was associated with socioeconomic, breast cancer-specific, and other health-related characteristics of the patients and partners.
  
  
  METHODS
  The analyzes are based on 2254 couples who were invited to participate in a nationwide survey on psychosocial adjustment among couples dealing with breast cancer. Participating couples (N = 792) were compared with non-participating couples (N = 1462) with regard to socioeconomic and health-related characteristics obtained from nationwide clinical and administrative registers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Associations were seen between various socioeconomic variables and couple participation. The patient characteristics older age (OR = 0.15 [95% CI = 0.07-0.55]), low education (OR = 1.95 [95% CI = 1.46-2.68]), disability pension (OR = 0.59 [95% CI = 0.39-0.55]), or non-western ethnicity (OR = 0.36 [95% CI = 0.15-0.82]) reduced couple participation. The partner characteristics older age (OR = 0.23 [95% CI = 0.15-0.43]), low education (OR = 1.67 [95% CI = 1.25-2.22]), receiving disability pension (OR = 0.46 [95% CI = 0.25-0.82]), non-western ethnicity (OR = 0.17 [95% CI = 0.06-0.49]), or high morbidity (OR = 0.76 [95% CI = 0.60-0.96]) also reduced couple participation. Furthermore, couples with low income (OR = 1.49 [95% CI = 1.16-1.95]) had reduced participation. No associations were found between couple participation and breast cancer-related variables.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Socioeconomic characteristics of patients and partners, and morbidity of partners may influence participation in couple-based psychosocial breast cancer research. Breast cancer-related characteristics do not seem to influence participation.
authors.affiliation: National Research Center of Cancer Rehabilitation, Research Unit of General Practice, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, J.B. Winsløws Vej 9A, 5000, Odense, Denmark, hhbentsen@health.sdu.dk.
authors.forename: Helene
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Terp
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rottmann
authors.forename: Pia Veldt
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Larsen
authors.forename: Mariët
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hagedoorn
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Flyger
authors.forename: Niels
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kroman
authors.forename: Christoffer
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Johansen
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dalton
authors.forename: Dorte Gilså
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Hansen
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology*; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires