Comparing the sociodemographic characteristics of participants and non-participants in the population-based Tromsø Study

• Published in: BMC Public Health
• Main Authors: Vo, Chi Quynh, Samuelsen, Per-Jostein, Sommerseth, Hilde Leikny, Wisløff, Torbjørn, Wilsgaard, Tom, Eggen, Anne Elise
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2023
• Subjects: Norway; Tromsø
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10037/29973; https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-15928-w

Background Diferences in the sociodemographic characteristics of participants and non-participants in populationbased studies may introduce bias and reduce the generalizability of research fndings. This study aimed to compare the sociodemographic characteristics of participants and non-participants of the seventh survey of the Tromsø Study (Tromsø7, 2015–16), a population-based health survey. Methods A total of 32,591 individuals were invited to Tromsø7. We compared the sociodemographic character‑ istics of participants and non-participants by linking the Tromsø7 invitation fle to Statistics Norway, and explored the association between these characteristics and participation using logistic regression. Furthermore, we created a geographical socioeconomic status (area SES) index (low-SES, medium-SES, and high-SES area) based on individual educational level, individual income, total household income, and residential ownership status. We then mapped the relationship between area SES and participation in Tromsø7. Results Men, people aged 40–49 and 80–89 years, those who were unmarried, widowed, separated/divorced, born outside of Norway, had lower education, had lower income, were residential renters, and lived in a low-SES area had a lower probability of participation in Tromsø7. Conclusions Sociodemographic diferences in participation must be considered to avoid biased estimates in research based on population-based studies, especially when the relationship between SES and health is being explored. Particular attention should be paid to the recruitment of groups with lower SES to population-based studies.