Article
No Title
Substance Use & Misuse
(2015)
Abstract
Location-based sampling is a method to obtain samples of people within ecological contexts relevant to specific public health outcomes. Random selection increases generalizability; however, in some circumstances (such as surveying bar patrons), recruitment conditions increase risks of sample bias. We attempted to recruit representative samples of bars and patrons in six California cities, but low response rates precluded meaningful analysis. A systematic review of 24 similar studies revealed that none addressed the key shortcomings of our study. We recommend steps to improve studies that use location-based sampling: (i) purposively sample places of interest, (ii) use recruitment strategies appropriate to the environment, and (iii) provide full information on response rates at all levels of sampling.
Keywords
- selection bias,
- refusal bias,
- systematic review,
- bars,
- survey,
- location-based sampling
Disciplines
Publication Date
2015
DOI
10.3109/10826084.2015.1018540
Publisher Statement
This is the metadata for an article published by Taylor & Francis in the Substance Use & Misuse Journal in 2015, available online: http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/10826084.2015.1018540
Citation Information
Morrison, C., Lee, J. P., Gruenewald, P. J., & Marzell, M. (2015). A critical assessment of bias in survey studies using location-based sampling to recruit patrons in bars. Substance Use and Misuse, 50(11), 1427-1436. doi:10.3109/10826084.2015.1018540