Influence of survey administration on well-being, health, and illness estimates: A randomized study

Background

Participation is crucial in large-scale population surveys that aim to draw valid conclusions about the well-Being, health, and illness of the general population. In a previous study, we found that participation rates were substantially influenced by the survey administration mode and the number of reminders, while sociodemographic representativeness was largely unaffected. Using the same study sample and a randomized design, this study aimed to examine whether the survey administration mode influenced key prevalence estimates related to well-being, health, and illness.

Methods

We used data from the panel study of The Danish Capital Region Health Survey, including 6564 individuals (≥20 years) who participated in both 2017 and 2021. A sequential mixed-mode survey administration was used in 2017, whereas individuals were randomized into two groups in 2021: a single-mode group (three digital letters) and a sequential mixed-mode group (two digital and then three physical letters). Self-reported survey data on well-being, health, health behavior, and illness in 2021 were compared between the two groups.

Results

When comparing key prevalence estimates between the single-mode group (N = 2876) and the sequential mixed-mode group (N = 3688), poor quality of life was more prevalent in the single-mode group (4.4%) than in the mixed-mode group (3.3%; p = 0.016). The groups showed no significant differences in loneliness, stress symptoms, health-related outcomes (self-rated health, obesity, sleep problems, smoking, alcohol consumption, diet, physical activity), or chronic disease prevalence.

Conclusions

Differences between the survey administration groups were observed in only one of several key outcomes. Thus, in this panel study sample, key outcomes related to well-being, health, and illness were largely unaffected by survey administration mode.

Key messages

• Survey administration mode had little impact on key health outcomes, indicating that digital survey administration can be implemented without compromising data quality.

• Mixed- and single-mode survey administration yield comparable results, indicating that more cost-efficient digital solutions may be feasible in public health data collection.