Memory aids in longitudinal health surveys: Results from a field experiment
1982
Extract: The use of memory aids to improve respondent recall is becoming increasingly popular in health surveys. In a one-year field experiment involving over 1,200 respondents, people assigned memory aids reported over 50% more symptom episodes than those not assigned memory aids. Differences in reporting levels were particularly striking during the first 6 to 12 weeks of the survey, for symptoms related to acute, transitory illness, and among minorities and the lower socioeconomic groups. Respondents assigned memory aids also were more likely to report a doctor contact, especially during the fall and winter months. Among respondents who used their memory aids at least once, nearly 35% said they were influenced by the information recorded in their memory aids; most of those who were influenced said that they become more aware of their health. Ten of these people said that they became more worried or depressed because of the information recorded in their memory aids. This constitutes about a 4% risk among those people who reported using their memory aids at least once. There was no evidence to suggest that the memory aids influenced perceptions of health status. (author)
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