title: A telephone survey of factors affecting willingness to participate in health research surveys.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In recent years, reduced participation has been encountered across all epidemiological study designs, both in terms of non-response as well as refusal. A low response rate may reduce the statistical power but, more importantly, results may not be generalizable to the wider community.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a telephone survey of 1413 randomly selected members of the Australian general population and of 690 participants sourced from previous studies, we examined factors affecting people's stated willingness to participate in health research.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of participants (61 %) expressed willingness to participate in health research in general but the percentage increased when provided with more specific information about the research. People were more willing if they have personal experience of the disease under study, and if the study was funded by government or charity rather than pharmaceutical companies. Participants from previous studies, older people and women were the groups most willing to participate. Younger men preferred online surveys, older people a written questionnaire, and few participants in any age and sex groups preferred a telephone questionnaire.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite a trend toward reduced participation rates, most participants expressed their willingness to participate in health research. However, when seeking participants, researchers should be concrete and specific about the nature of the research they want to carry out. The preferred method of recommended contact varies with the demographic characteristics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, The Alfred Centre, 99 Commercial Rd, Melbourne, 3004, VIC, Australia. deborah.glass@monash.edu.
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Glass
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, The Alfred Centre, 99 Commercial Rd, Melbourne, 3004, VIC, Australia. helen.kelsall@monash.edu.
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Kelsall
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, The Alfred Centre, 99 Commercial Rd, Melbourne, 3004, VIC, Australia. claudiamslegers@gmail.com.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Slegers
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, The Alfred Centre, 99 Commercial Rd, Melbourne, 3004, VIC, Australia. andrew.forbes@monash.edu.
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Forbes
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, The Alfred Centre, 99 Commercial Rd, Melbourne, 3004, VIC, Australia. bebe.loff@monash.edu.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Loff
authors.affiliation: VU Human Research Ethics Committee, Office For Research, FP, Victoria University, PO Box 14428, Melbourne, VIC, 8001, Australia. Deborah.Zion@vu.edu.au.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zion
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia. lin.fritschi@curtin.edu.au.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fritschi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012107:Research Design; D035842:Research Subjects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D055815:Young Adult