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https://doi.org/10.18148/srm/2017.v11i2.6803
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Differences in General Health of Internet Users and Non-users and Implications for the Use of Web Surveys
[journal article]
Abstract "Web surveys have become popular in many fields of research. To compensate persisting undercoverage and nonresponse problems of web surveys, weighting strategies are used. However, the underlying assumptions of weighting are rarely tested. If the probability of missing data depends on the missing da... view more
"Web surveys have become popular in many fields of research. To compensate persisting undercoverage and nonresponse problems of web surveys, weighting strategies are used. However, the underlying assumptions of weighting are rarely tested. If the probability of missing data depends on the missing data itself (missing not at random, MNAR), no standard weighting method will correct for nonresponse or undercoverage bias. We postulate a MNAR selection effect due to health conditions. Using real data from large scale non-internet surveys in different countries (European Social Survey (ESS), n ca. 55,000, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), n ca. 492,000), large differences in general subjective health between Internet users and non-users can be observed. Weighting by calibration on age, gender, ethnic background, urban residence, education and household income does not eliminate the observed health differences. Therefore, the underlying missing data mechanism might be considered as an example of MNAR. If this holds, no weighting strategy will be able to eliminate health bias in web surveys." (author's abstract)... view less
Keywords
online survey; weighting; comparison of methods; health status; response behavior; survey research; data capture
Classification
Methods and Techniques of Data Collection and Data Analysis, Statistical Methods, Computer Methods
Free Keywords
MNAR; Bias; ESS; BRFSS; Weighting; Calibration
Document language
English
Publication Year
2017
Page/Pages
p. 105-123
Journal
Survey Research Methods, 11 (2017) 2
ISSN
1864-3361
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed
Licence
Deposit Licence - No Redistribution, No Modifications