The authors conducteda pilotstudyin preparationfor a larger investigationthatwill rely ontelephone surveys to assess select health behaviors of teens and their parents, with a focus on indoor tanning. This study used a randomized design to assess the impact of a presurvey letter on response rates to a telephone survey, as well as prevalence estimates of ever having used an indoortanningfacility. The letter didnothavea significanteffect onresponserates or prevalence estimates in the two cities under study. Findings suggest that researchers should not assume that a letter sent in advance of a telephone survey will necessarily increase response rates enough to justify their use.
American Association for Public Opinion Research. 2000.Standard definitions: Final dispositions of case codes and outcome rates for surveys. Ann Arbor, MI: American Association for Public Opinion Research.
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Dillman, D. A., J. L. Eltinge, R. M. Groves, and R. J. A. Little. 2002. Survey nonresponse in design, data collection, and analysis. In Survey nonresponse, ed. R. M. Groves, D. A. Dillman, J. S. Eltinge, and R. J. A. Little, 3-26. New York: John Wiley.
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Kennedy, J. M., R. B. Parks, N. Bannister, J. Inghram, and H. Terhune. 1998. An analysis of the effect of varying pre-survey letter characteristics on cooperation rates. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Public Opinion Research, St. Louis, MO.
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Majowicz, S. E., V. L. Edge, J. Flint, P. Sockett, and K. Doré. 2004. An introductory letter in advance of a telephone survey may increase response rate. Canada Communicable Disease Report, 30-13. http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/ccdr-rmtc.
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Parsons, J., and L. Owens. 2002. Using advance letters in RDD surveys: Results of two experiments. Survey Research33 (1): 1-2.
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