Consequences of reducing nonresponse in a national telephone survey.

Critics of public opinion polls often claim that methodological shortcuts taken to collect timely data produce biased results. This study compares two random digit dial national telephone surveys that used identical questionnaires but very different levels of effort: a "Standard" survey conducted over a 5-day period that used a sample of adults who were home when the interviewer called, and a "Rigorous" survey conducted over an 8-week period that used random selection from among all adult household members. Response rates, computed according to AAPOR guidelines, were 60.

Sedation in pediatric CT: national survey of current practice.

To document current sedation practices in computed tomographic (CT) examination of children, a questionnaire was sent to a random sample of 2,000 hospitals with CT scanners in the United States. Responses were received from 834 hospitals (42%). Of these, 450 were reported to conduct pediatric CT with sedation.

Knowledge of AIDS and related behavior change among unmarried adults in a low-prevalence city.

Interviews regarding AIDS knowledge and related behavior change were conducted with a random sample of 409 unmarried individuals 18-39 years of age in Richmond, Virginia, between March 18 and April 3, 1987. Eight percent of the sample described themselves as "gay" or "bisexual," 92% as "heterosexual" (or "straight"). Key variables were knowledge of AIDS and HIV testing, level of concern for self, and changes in sexual behavior.