Household Telephone Research Articles

What Is Best for Workers? The Implications of Workplace and Human Resource Management Practices Revisited

Drawing on a 2003–2004 random household telephone survey of 750 Canadian workers, I explore the implications of work and human resource (HR) practices for six aspects of the quality of working life. I find “traditional” HR practices, associated with the bureaucratic model predominant after World War II and with union representation, to have strong positive implications for workers. Participative workplace practices also have strong positive implications, although these are largely limited to information sharing in the union sector. The actual organization of work (e.g., teams), contingent pay, and “new” HR practices, associated with the “new” HRM of the 1980s, all make little difference. Comparison of these findings with those from a comparable 1998 survey of 508 Canadian workers and a parallel 2003 survey of 450 English workers suggest, however, that the implications of work and HR practices may be historically and institutionally contingent and thus should be interpreted using a historical/institutional perspective.

Coverage Bias in Variances, Associations, and Total Error From Exclusion of the Cell Phone-Only Population in the United States

Although landline telephone household surveys often draw inference about the general population, a proportion with only cell phones is excluded. In the United States, like in much of the world, this proportion is substantial and increasing, providing potential for coverage bias. Studies have looked at bias in means, but undercoverage can affect other essential statistics. The precision of point estimates can be biased, leading to erroneous conclusions. Research examining multivariate relationships will be further affected by bias in associations. A national landline telephone survey was conducted, followed by a survey of adults with only cell phones. In addition to estimates of means and proportions, differences were found for variances and associations. Bias in some point estimates was reduced through poststratification but became larger and in opposite direction for others. Different uses of survey data can be affected by omitting the cell-only population, and reliance on postsurvey adjustments can be misleading.

Characteristics of Cell Phone Only, Listed, and Unlisted Telephone Households

Cell phone only households have increased from about 4% in 2004 to over 14% in 2007. Since cell phone only households are not included in random digit dialing (RDD) samples, they represent a major source of noncoverage error. To assess the extent of this noncoverage error we compared the results of a CATI telephone survey of three different samples of households: (1) cell phone only households; (2) directory listed households; and (3) unlisted households. The survey results are based on samples of at least 400 respondents per group, and show significant differences in demographics between all three groups, as well as differences in attitudinal measures. The results indicate that including cell phone only households in a telephone samples can lead to substantial improvements in coverage. Cell phone only respondents tend to be younger, single, and male, and tend to rent rather than own their home, and have either less or more education than respondents from listed and unlisted RDD samples. Cell phone only respondents are also more likely to have more than one cell phone, and to have full time employment. A significant difference was also observed for political party affiliation. The cell phone only sample also picked up the highest rate of Asian respondents. We found significant differences in the characteristics of directory listed vs unlisted households as well. Listed households are the least likely to have a computer in the home, have fewer male respondents, have the highest proportion of retired, and elderly respondents, the highest proportion of white and married respondents. The paper discusses the implications of these results for obtaining representative samples for telephone surveys.

The Downward Trend of Survey Response Rates: Implications and Considerations for Evaluators

Abstract: Rapidly declining response rates and the associated threat of nonresponse bias call into question the validity of data obtained through telephone surveys, a tool often used in evaluation. This article explores changes in nonresponse bias over time by examining three data points (1991, 1996, and 2002) from an annual household telephone survey conducted by the University of Alberta’s Population Research Lab. Results demonstrate a substantial decline in response rates accompanied by an increasing level of bias in variables related to respondent education. Implications of these results are investigated through regression analyses and suggest that declining representation of individuals with less education could significantly impact a variety of survey variables, thus creating opportunity for opinions of the more educated to become more heavily weighted in evaluation results. In turn, such results could be used to inform government policies and programs in ways that advantage the educated middle class.

Racial/Ethnic Differences in Parental Concern About Their Child’s Drug Use in a Nationally Representative Sample in the United States

Parental concern and negative attitudes toward drug use may prevent youth from being involved in drug use. However, few studies have addressed parental concern about children's drug use and its possible variation by race/ethnicity. In this study, we explored the potential racial/ethnic differences in parental concern about their children's drug use with a nationally representative sample. The data were from the 2003 National Survey of Children's Health, a random household telephone survey of parents of children up to age 17 (n = 102353). The analytic sample was restricted to parents of children aged 6 to 17 years (n = 61046). Multivariate logistic regression models, controlling for children's age, gender, family structure, and family poverty level, were fitted, simultaneously accommodating the complex survey design. Parents of African American and Hispanic children expressed more concern than parents of white children, even after controlling for potential confounders (adjusted odds ratio (AOR), 1.9; 95% CI, 1.8-2.1 and AOR, 1.9; 95% Cl, 1.7-2.1, respectively). The level of parental concern about adolescent drug use was different across race/ethnicity groups. The results may have implications for parental participation in school-based adolescent prevention programs.

Zero Banks

List-assisted random digit dialing (RDD) is commonly used for sampling telephone households in the United States. The sampling frame is landline one hundred-series banks with one or more listed tele- phone numbers. The exclusion of banks without listed numbers from this truncated design has been justified by a 1995 study which found only 3.7 percent of working household numbers in unlisted banks with

Maximising response rates in household telephone surveys

BackgroundEpidemiological and other studies that require participants to respond by completing a questionnaire face the growing threat of non-response. Response rates to household telephone surveys are diminishing because of changes in telecommunications, marketing and culture. Accordingly, updated information is required about the rate of telephone listing in directories and optimal strategies to maximise survey participation.MethodsA total of 3426 households in Sydney, Australia were approached to participate in a computer assisted telephone interview (CATI) regarding their domestic (recycled and/or drinking) water usage. Only randomly selected households in the suburb and postcode of interest with a telephone number listed in the Electronic White Pages (EWP) that matched Australian electoral records were approached.ResultsThe CATI response rate for eligible households contacted by telephone was 39%. The rate of matching of electoral and EWP records, a measure of telephone directory coverage, was 55%.ConclusionThe use of a combination of approaches, such as an advance letter, interviewer training, establishment of researcher credentials, increasing call attempts and targeted call times, remains a good strategy to maximise telephone response rates. However, by way of preparation for future technological changes, reduced telephone number listings and people's increasing resistance to unwanted phone calls, alternatives to telephone surveys, such as internet-based approaches, should be investigated.

Employment outcomes of persons with a mental disorder and comorbid chronic pain.

This study examined the independent and interactive effects of common mental disorders and chronic pain conditions on employment and work outcomes among individuals under 65 years old. Cross-sectional data were analyzed from the second wave of Healthcare for Communities (HCC2), a household telephone survey of U.S. civilian adults conducted in 2000-2001 (N=5,328). Common mental disorders were assessed by using the short-form version of the World Health Organization's Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Chronic pain conditions and employment outcomes were identified by self-report. Logistic and linear regression analyses were used to provide estimates for work impairment on the basis of the presence of a mental disorder or a chronic pain condition or both. The interaction between presence of a mental disorder and presence of a chronic pain condition was significantly associated with no work for pay in the past 12 months (odds ratio=2.3, 95% confidence interval=1.2-4.2) and number of days of work missed in the past month because of health (regression coefficient=1.47, SE=.59). In stratified analyses this effect persisted for women but not for men. The presence of a mental disorder and the presence of a chronic pain condition were each independently associated with limitations in work and any work missed in the past 30 days because of health, although the interaction was not significant. Mental disorders and chronic pain are each associated with work disability. Mental disorders are more strongly associated with some work disability outcomes when they are accompanied by chronic pain, especially among women.

Age-specific parental knowledge of restraint transitions influences appropriateness of child occupant restraint use

Objective:To determine the factors that influence appropriate restraint usage by child occupants across the age range for which any type of child restraint may be appropriate (0–10 years).Design:Randomized household telephone...

Indigenous culture and communications: can stakeholders build a better telephone service?

This paper explores the corporate and cultural complexities involved in developing a new communications technology solution, called Country Calling, for remote Indigenous community users. The starting point is the persistent very low take-up and maintenance of personal or household telephone services in these communities.A social construction of technology approach is used to review three primary questions.1. How is the current Standard Telephone Service culturally constructed with respect to remote Indigenous communities?2. How are users represented in the technology innovation process?3. How is a new technology solution negotiated between supplier constraints and user demands?It is important to explore these questions, which should allow for the more intelligent design of communications technologies and provide insights into what makes for successful technological innovation within the Australian telecommunications industry.The paper argues that best-practice public participation processes, which prioritise an understanding of the user environment, can provide for the construction of new technologies that will hopefully allow more people in Australia to stay connected. Copyright 2008 Robert Morsillo. No part of this article may be reproduced by any means without the written consent of the publisher.

Indigenous culture and communications

This paper explores the corporate and cultural complexities involved in developing a new communications technology solution, called Country Calling, for remote Indigenous community users. The starting point is the persistent very low take-up and maintenance of personal or household telephone services in these communities.A social construction of technology approach is used to review three primary questions.1. How is the current Standard Telephone Service culturally constructed with respect to remote Indigenous communities?2. How are users represented in the technology innovation process?3. How is a new technology solution negotiated between supplier constraints and user demands?It is important to explore these questions, which should allow for the more intelligent design of communications technologies and provide insights into what makes for successful technological innovation within the Australian telecommunications industry.The paper argues that best-practice public participation processes, which prioritise an understanding of the user environment, can provide for the construction of new technologies that will hopefully allow more people in Australia to stay connected. Copyright 2008 Robert Morsillo. No part of this article may be reproduced by any means without the written consent of the publisher.

The Prevalence of Body Dysmorphic Disorder in the United States Adult Population

In clinical samples, body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is associated with substantial suffering and reduced quality of life. Limited surveys report widely varying prevalence estimates. To better establish the prevalence of BDD, we conducted a United States nationwide prevalence survey. We conducted a random sample national household telephone survey in the spring and summer of 2004 and interviewed 2,513 adults, of whom 2,048 qualified for the BDD-module administration. The computer-assisted, structured interviews, conducted by trained lay interviewers, addressed Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition criteria for BDD, along with information regarding several impulse-control disorders and the respondents' financial and demographic data. The rate of response was 56.3%, which compared favorably with rates in federal national health surveys. The cooperation rate was 97.6%. Respondents included a higher percentage of women and people >55 years of age than in the US adult population, and a lower percentage of Hispanics. The estimated point prevalence of DSM-IV BDD among respondents was 2.4% (49/2,048) (by gender: 2.5% for women, 2.2% for men), exceeding the prevalence of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder type I and about that of generalized anxiety disorder. BDD prevalence decreased after 44 years of age, and a larger proportion of BDD respondents were never married. Of those meeting DSM-IV criteria for BDD, 90% (45/49) met the DSM-IV distress criterion, and 51% (25/49) met the interference-with-functioning criterion. A study using clinically valid interviews is needed to evaluate these results. Such studies could inform treatment by documenting rates of seeking treatment from various sources, suicide attempt rates, and the prevalence of comorbid conditions.

Designing a Household Survey to Address Seasonality in Child Care Arrangements

In household telephone surveys, a long field period may be required to maximize the response rate and achieve adequate sample sizes. However, long field periods can be problematic when measures of seasonally affected behavior are sought. Surveys of child care use are one example because child care arrangements vary by season. Options include varying the questions posed about school-year and summer arrangements or posing retrospective questions about child care use for the school year only. This article evaluates the bias associated with the use of retrospective questions about school-year child care arrangements in the 1999 National Survey of America's Families. The authors find little evidence of bias and hence recommend that future surveys use the retrospective approach.

Datapoints: Mapping Estimated County-Level Income and Binge Drinking Among California Men

The California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) (www.chis.ucla.edu) has been conducted biannually since 2001 and is the largest subnational household telephone interview survey in the United States. In 2005 there were completed responses for 43,020 adults, representing 29.7 million Californians. Among men, an estimated 3.2 million (24.7%) engaged in binge drinking. We conducted an ecological study of CHIS's estimated binge drinking rates per county and county group. Language: en

Aerobic physical activity and resistance training: an application of the theory of planned behavior among adults with type 2 diabetes in a random, national sample of Canadians

BackgroundAerobic physical activity (PA) and resistance training are paramount in the treatment and management of type 2 diabetes (T2D), but few studies have examined the determinants of both types of exercise in the same sample.ObjectiveThe primary purpose was to investigate the utility of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) in explaining aerobic PA and resistance training in a population sample of T2D adults.MethodsA total of 244 individuals were recruited through a random national sample which was created by generating a random list of household phone numbers. The list was proportionate to the actual number of household telephone numbers for each Canadian province (with the exception of Quebec). These individuals completed self-report TPB constructs of attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control and intention, and a 3-month follow-up that assessed aerobic PA and resistance training.ResultsTPB explained 10% and 8% of the variance respectively for aerobic PA and resistance training; and accounted for 39% and 45% of the variance respectively for aerobic PA and resistance training intentions.ConclusionThese results may guide the development of appropriate PA interventions for aerobic PA and resistance training based on the TPB.

Use of national health interview data to measure the burden of disease and injuries

Background: Although it is acknowledged that injuries place a substantial burden on populations throughout the world, few studies have measured the burden of non-fatal injuries and compared it with that...

Household mobility and cellular telephone demand

Cellular telephones are mobile, and this mobility is one of the key factors influencing the demand for cellular service. This article examines the household demand for cellular telephone and finds that the numbers of vehicles and drivers in the household strongly influence the demand for cellular telephones. Income has the strongest effect. We find some evidence that telephone landlines and cellular telephone service are substitutes. The results are based on data from the 2001 National Household Travel Survey conducted the US Department of Transportation.

Household Telephone Service and Usage Patterns in the United states in 2004: Implications for Telephone Samples

Changes in the U.S. telephone system, especially the rapid growth in the prevalence and use of cell phones, raise concerns about undercoverage error in random digit dial (RDD) telephone samples. A supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS) was conducted in 2004 to examine telephone service and usage in U.S. households. This article explores the potential for biases in RDD surveys resulting from the increases in cell phones by presenting estimates of the percentage of households with different types of telephone service, including the percentage of cell-only households, and giving demographic profiles of households by type of telephone service. Logistic regression models examine variables that predict whether households are without a telephone or only have cell phones. These predictors may be used for weighting adjustments to reduce undercoverage biases. We address some additional issues, including the wording of questions for measuring telephone service, that are relevant if telephone-sampling methods are revised to include cell phones. The estimates from the CPS supplement are also used to help understand some of the new sampling and weighting problems associated with selecting samples from cell phone numbers.

The US gun stock: results from the 2004 national firearms survey

Objectives: To examine the size and composition of the privately held firearm stock in the US; and to describe demographic patterns of firearm ownership and motivations for ownership. Design, setting...

The State of Surveying Cell Phone Numbers in the United States: 2007 and Beyond

By the late 1970s, household telephone coverage grew to exceed 90 percent in the United States, and by the mid-1980s telephone surveying of the general public had become commonplace. Nevertheless, 20 years later, the ability of researchers to reach representative samples of the U.S. public via landline (wired) telephone surveys and gather reliable data is being seriously challenged for many reasons, especially those related to cell phones and the growth of the “cell phone only” population. However, at present there exists no widely accepted set of Cell Phone Surveying “best practices” for U.S. survey researchers to follow. Despite what some appear to believe, surveying persons reached on cell phone numbers in the United States currently is a very complex undertaking if one wants to do it “right,” i.e. to do it legally, ethically, and in ways that optimally allocate one's finite resources to gather the highest quality data, and to analyze and interpret those data accurately. This final “wrap-up” article in the special issue provides a review of the empirical articles in the issue with a focus on their practical implications for the decisions that researchers need to make regarding sampling, coverage, nonresponse, measurement, and weighting in surveys that include interviews with persons reached on cell phones. The article also highlights the practical implications of a number of legal, ethical, and other issues that relate to surveys in the United States that include cell phone numbers. Surveying the U.S. cell phone population is possible, if at a higher cost than surveying their landline counterparts, and if with less precision than currently can be done surveying the landline population. The next five years should see a considerable growth in the methodological and statistical know-how that the survey community uses to plan, implement, and interpret cell phone surveys. There is a great deal that still must be learned.