The Eurowinter Project: The Use of Market/Social Research Methods in an International Study

Abstract

This paper describes how an international research project using standard quota sampling methods was used as part of an epidemiological study investigating the relationships between cold weather and excess winter mortality in eight different temperature zones in Europe. Surveys provided unique evidence of how the increase in deaths with greater cold can be affected by the actions people take to protect themselves, both in the home and in the open air. The study, supported by a grant from the European Community, was later followed by similar studies in Ekaterinburg, Russian Federation, and Yakutsk, North-eastern Siberia.