How was the survey conducted?
Detailed information about the survey methodology can be found in the Methodology Report. The report describes how data were collected through a telephone survey of adults in households with landline telephone numbers using a random digit dialing (RDD) sample. The sample was geographically stratified to represent Maricopa County and the remainder of Arizona. In Maricopa County, children and adolescents were also sampled when present in a household. All data were collected using a computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) system, with interviewing in English and Spanish. The data were weighted to represent the Arizona household population. The Methodology Report was authored by Westat, Inc., the firm that conducted the phone interviews.
What geographic areas were included in the survey?
The Arizona Health Survey was designed to be representative of Arizona’s population. Landline residential telephone numbers were selected throughout the state, and additional numbers were sampled within Maricopa County. Within each household, one adult (age 18 and over) respondent was randomly selected. In those households in Maricopa County with adolescents (ages 12-17) and/or children (under age 12), one adolescent and one child were randomly selected; the adolescent was interviewed directly, and the adult most knowledgeable about the child’s health completed the child interview. The final sample included 3,130 adult interviews in Maricopa County and 1,066 interviews with adults throughout the rest of the state, for a total of 4,196 adult respondents. Within Maricopa County, 635 child interviews and 203 adolescent interviews were completed.
What types of questions were asked?
AHS 2008 includes questions that were shared across all age groups, as well as some questions that were unique to only one age group. Survey topic areas included:
General Health Status
Health Conditions
Mental Health
Health Behaviors
Dental Health
Access to/Use of Health Care Services
Health Insurance
Housing, Social and Neighborhood Characteristics
Parental Involvemenet
Child Care and School Attendance
Demographic Characteristics
Respondent and Household Income
Employment
What about cell phones and households that did not have a landline phone?
As in most RDD surveys, households with no access to landline telephones, including those in households with only cellular telephones and households with no telephone service, were not sampled for AHS. To reduce potential biases that result from the exclusion of households with no landline telephones, special weighting procedures were used and included socioeconomic variables such as housing status, age and race/ethnicity that are correlated to cell phone use.
Why didn't you just mail the survey to people that do not have a landline phone?
This was designed to be a telephone survey. Answering it in a different format would have affected the results.
How many people were called?
We called over 4,000 randomly selected households throughout Arizona.
How is information kept confidential? How is privacy protected?
Keeping individual information confidential is a top priority for us. No names are retained, all telephone numbers and any home address (if we had one) were stripped away from the survey answers so that no one can directly connect what responses came from which person or household. Everyone working on this study is required by law to protect the confidentiality of people who participate. We are bound by very rigid rules set up by an Institutional Review Board to protect the privacy and rights of survey participants.
Why were questions asked about income?
We asked only to make sure we talked to families with a range of different incomes. This is because their experiences and needs may be different. Just like the other questions, information about income is kept confidential.
What if people didn't have any health problems?
We talked to people who had health problems, as well as those who did not, to get a better understanding of health status and the health needs of all Arizonans.
Did respondents have to do this? What if they didn't want to answer some of the questions?
Participation was voluntary, but we encouraged participation when possible. We did not require response to all the questions, and any refusals were accepted at any time.
How will the study results be used?
The information collected from this survey will help researchers, policymakers, non-profit organizations and grantmakers better understand the health of Arizonans, the interaction of health issues with other factors and issues related to health care access and cost in Arizona. With this information, improvements can be made to public health programs and the health care system. Parties interested in accessing the data can do so through an application process.
