Abstract
The aim of the study was to assess the response to random sampling for a mental health survey in a deprived multi-ethnic area
of Berlin, Germany, with a large Turkish-speaking population. A random list from the registration office with 1,000 persons
stratified by age and gender was retrieved from the population registry and these persons were contacted using a three-stage
design including written information, telephone calls and personal contact at home. A female bilingual interviewer contacted
persons with Turkish names. Of the persons on the list, 202 were not living in the area, one was deceased, 502 did not respond.
Of the 295 responders, 152 explicitly refused (51.5%) to participate. We retained a sample of 143 participants (48.5%) representing
the rate of multi-ethnicity in the area (52.1% migrants in the sample vs. 53.5% in the population). Turkish migrants were
over-represented (28.9% in the sample vs. 18.6% in the population). Polish migrants (2.1 vs. 5.3% in the population) and persons
from the former Yugoslavia (1.4 vs. 4.8% in the population) were under-represented. Bilingual contact procedures can improve
the response rates of the most common migrant populations to random sampling if migrants of the same origin gate the contact.
High non-contact and non-response rates for migrant and non-migrant populations in deprived urban areas remain a challenge
for obtaining representative random samples.
of Berlin, Germany, with a large Turkish-speaking population. A random list from the registration office with 1,000 persons
stratified by age and gender was retrieved from the population registry and these persons were contacted using a three-stage
design including written information, telephone calls and personal contact at home. A female bilingual interviewer contacted
persons with Turkish names. Of the persons on the list, 202 were not living in the area, one was deceased, 502 did not respond.
Of the 295 responders, 152 explicitly refused (51.5%) to participate. We retained a sample of 143 participants (48.5%) representing
the rate of multi-ethnicity in the area (52.1% migrants in the sample vs. 53.5% in the population). Turkish migrants were
over-represented (28.9% in the sample vs. 18.6% in the population). Polish migrants (2.1 vs. 5.3% in the population) and persons
from the former Yugoslavia (1.4 vs. 4.8% in the population) were under-represented. Bilingual contact procedures can improve
the response rates of the most common migrant populations to random sampling if migrants of the same origin gate the contact.
High non-contact and non-response rates for migrant and non-migrant populations in deprived urban areas remain a challenge
for obtaining representative random samples.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category Brief Report
- Pages 1-6
- DOI 10.1007/s10597-012-9483-4
- Authors
- Adrian P. Mundt, Psychiatrische Universitätsklinik der Charité im St. Hedwig Krankenhaus, Große Hamburger Str. 5-11, 10115 Berlin, Germany
- Marion C. Aichberger, Psychiatrische Universitätsklinik der Charité im St. Hedwig Krankenhaus, Große Hamburger Str. 5-11, 10115 Berlin, Germany
- Thomas Kliewe, Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Helios Kliniken Schwerin, Schwerin, Germany
- Yuriy Ignatyev, Department of Communication Skills, Medical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Kazakh National Medical University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
- Seda Yayla, Psychiatrische Universitätsklinik der Charité im St. Hedwig Krankenhaus, Große Hamburger Str. 5-11, 10115 Berlin, Germany
- Hannah Heimann, Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Charité Campus Mitte, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Meryam Schouler-Ocak, Psychiatrische Universitätsklinik der Charité im St. Hedwig Krankenhaus, Große Hamburger Str. 5-11, 10115 Berlin, Germany
- Markus Busch, Robert-Koch-Institut, Berlin, Germany
- Michael Rapp, Psychiatrische Universitätsklinik der Charité im St. Hedwig Krankenhaus, Große Hamburger Str. 5-11, 10115 Berlin, Germany
- Andreas Heinz, Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Charité Campus Mitte, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Andreas Ströhle, Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Charité Campus Mitte, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Journal Community Mental Health Journal
- Online ISSN 1573-2789
- Print ISSN 0010-3853