title: Reaching a representative sample of college students: A comparative analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the feasibility of a random-digit dial (RDD) cellular phone survey in order to reach a national and representative sample of college students.
  
  
  METHODS
  Demographic distributions from the 2011 National Young Adult Health Survey (NYAHS) were benchmarked against enrollment numbers from the Integrated Postsecondary Education System (IPEDS). The sample quality was compared with the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study (1993), National College Health Risk Behavior Survey (1995), and National College Health Assessment (2011).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, the NYAHS performed as well, if not better, than previous college health surveys at reaching important demographic subgroups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cellular phone RDD is one feasible approach for studies of the general population of college students that can potentially generate national estimates of health behavior.
authors.affiliation: a Center for Tobacco Studies, Rutgers School of Public Health , New Brunswick , New Jersey , USA.
authors.forename: Daniel P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Giovenco
authors.affiliation: b Department of Family Medicine and Community Health , Rutgers University Robert Wood Johnson Medical School , New Brunswick , New Jersey , USA.
authors.forename: Daniel A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Gundersen
authors.affiliation: a Center for Tobacco Studies, Rutgers School of Public Health , New Brunswick , New Jersey , USA.
authors.forename: Cristine D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Delnevo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D040421:Cell Phone / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012494:Sampling Studies; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cellular phone, college students, random-digit dial, sampling, survey methodology