Search PubMed⌕ Search
Home/Archive/PubMed

PubMed · 10162903

Questionnaire development.

C Fox
View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

The mail questionnaire is one of the most common forms of research conducted in applied health. It is used primarily for assessing community health needs, exploring opinions on health issues, determining self-reports of health behavior, and aiding program evaluations (Torabi, 1991). The accuracy of conclusions based on questionnaire responses depends upon many factors, including the wording of questions, the physical appearance of the questionnaire (Berdie, Anderson & Niebuhr, 1986; Sudman & Bradburn, 1982), and the response rate (Jones, 1993). Therefore, careful planning must precede the development and administration of any questionnaire. This article, providing a summary of some of the issues and techniques to consider when developing and administering a questionnaire, is organized into two main topics: Writing the questions and increasing response rate. Several subtopics are discussed within each of these two main topics, and suggestions for improving questionnaires are made throughout.

Explore related subjects

Attitude to HealthCorrespondence as TopicGuidelines as TopicHealth Care SurveysHealth Services ResearchHumansProgram EvaluationResearch DesignSurveys and QuestionnairesWritingJournal ArticleReview

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

C Fox. 1996. Questionnaire development.. https://doi.org/10.1300/j045v08n01_04

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related citations

PubMed1999

Colorectal carcinoma screening attitudes and practices among primary care physicians in counties at extremes of either high or low cancer case-fatality.

BACKGROUND: To the authors' knowledge, physician attitudes and reported practices regarding colorectal carcinoma screening have not been studied in areas of highest risk for cancer death. METHODS: Medicare claims were used to calculate colorectal carcinoma 2-year case-fatality rates for counties with >100 incident cases of colorectal carcinoma between 1991-1993. All 2682 practicing primary care physicians in 20 counties with the lowest case-fatality rates (mean of 29.9%) and 19 counties with the highest case-fatality rates (mean of 47.8%) were surveyed regarding their screening procedures and attitudes. RESULTS: Among the 972 respondents (36.1%), the reported use of fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) and flexible sigmoidoscopy was similar in the low and high case-fatality counties. However, physicians who practiced in the high case-fatality counties were less likely to be trained in and to perform sigmoidoscopy themselves (37.0% vs. 45.6%; P<0.01). Moreover, practitioners in the high case-fatality counties were more likely than the other physicians to consider or plan enhanced FOBT and sigmoidoscopic screening in the near future. FOBT and sigmoidoscopy screening rates at the county level were associated negatively with cancer incidence rates, case-fatality rates, and metastatic disease rates, suggesting a potentially protective effect. CONCLUSIONS: Geographically targeted interventions are a potentially cost-effective strategy for focusing additional screening services on the highest risk populations. The primary care clinicians in these high risk areas are logical partners for these interventions by virtue of their high degree of readiness to change their current screening practices.

Attitude to Health↗