%0 Journal Article %J Eur J Public Health %D 2013 %T Socio-economic differences in participation of households in a Belgian national health survey. %A Stefaan Demarest %A Johan Van der Heyden %A Rana Charafeddine %A Jean Tafforeau %A Herman Van Oyen %A Van Hal, Guido %K ADOLESCENT %K Adult %K Belgium %K Bias (Epidemiology) %K Data collection %K Educational Status %K Family Characteristics %K Female %K health surveys %K Humans %K Male %K middle aged %K Socioeconomic Factors %K Young adult %X

BACKGROUND: Socio-economic inequalities in health survey participation can jeopardize the extrapolation of the survey findings to the total population. Earlier research, based on aggregated data, showed that in Belgium less-educated people with poor health were less likely to participate in a health survey. In this article, the association by socio-economic status and household non-response in a health survey is examined.

METHODS: A linkage between the Belgian Health Survey 2001 with Census 2001 enabled us to evaluate the participation by socio-economic status.

RESULTS: We observed that the socio-economic position was a determinant of health survey participation: participation rate was significantly lower in households with a lower socio-economic profile.

CONCLUSION: Socio-economic inequalities in participation can introduce a bias in the health survey findings. Strategies targeting improvement of the participation of lower socio-economic groups need to be considered.

%B Eur J Public Health %V 23 %P 981-5 %8 2013 Dec %G eng %N 6 %1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23183496?dopt=Abstract %R 10.1093/eurpub/cks158