title: Potential use of telephone surveys for non-communicable disease surveillance in developing countries: evidence from a national household survey in Lebanon.
abstract: Given the worldwide proliferation of cellphones, this paper examines their potential use for the surveillance of non-communicable disease (NCD) risk factors in a Middle Eastern country.
  
  
  
  Data were derived from a national household survey of 2,656 adults (aged 18 years or older) in Lebanon in 2009. Responses to questions on phone ownership yielded two subsamples, the 'cell phone sample' (n = 1,404) and the 'any phone sample' (n = 2,158). Prevalence estimates of various socio-demographics and 11 key NCD risk factors and comorbidities were compared between each subsample and the overall household sample.
  
  
  
  Adjusting for baseline age and sex distribution, no differences were observed for all NCD indicators when comparing either of subsamples to the overall household sample, except for binge drinking [(OR = 1.55, 95 % CI: 1.33-1.81) and (OR = 1.48, 95 % CI: 1.18-1.85) for 'cell phone subsample' and 'any phone subsample', respectively] and self-rated health (OR = 1.23, 95 % CI: 1.10-1.36) and (OR = 1.16, 95 % CI: 1.02-1.32), respectively). Differences in the odds of hyperlipidemia (OR = 1.27, 95 % CI: 1.06-1.51) was also found in the subsample of 'any phone' carriers.
  
  
  
  Multi-mode telephone surveillance techniques provide viable alternative to face-to-face surveys in developing countries. Cell phones may also be useful for personalized public health and medical care interventions in young populations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Abla M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Sibai
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon. lg01@aub.edu.lb.
authors.forename: Lilian A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Ghandour
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Rawan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chaaban
authors.affiliation: Institutes for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Ali H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Mokdad
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D040421:Cell Phone / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007861:Lebanon / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D015995:Prevalence; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cell phones; Landline phones; Lebanon; NCD; Noncoverage bias; Risk factors