Methodology and study population of the second Swiss national community survey of functioning after spinal cord injury.

STUDY

DESIGN

Descriptive study of the second community survey of the Swiss Spinal Cord Injury Cohort Study (Survey 2017) conducted between 03/2017 and 03/2018.

OBJECTIVES

To describe the methodology, recruitment results, characteristics of participants and non-participants, and non-response of the Survey 2017.

SETTING

Community.

METHODS

Description of the sampling strategy and sampling frame. Recruitment results and characteristics of participants and non-participants of the two Survey 2017 questionnaire modules were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Determinants of survey participation were examined using multivariable logistic regression, and the impact of non-response bias on survey results was evaluated using inverse-probability weighting.

RESULTS

Out of 3959 persons who met the eligibility criteria, 1530 responded to module 1 (response rate 38.6%) and 1294 to module 2 (response rate 32.7%) of the Survey 2017. Of the 4493 invited persons, 1549 had participated in the first SwiSCI community survey conducted in 2012/2013. Of these, 1332 were invited to the Survey 2017 and 761 participated in module 1 (response rate 58.9%) and 685 in module 2 (response rate 53.1%). The majority of module 1 participants were male (71.2%, 95% CI: 68.9, 73.5), with a median age of 57 (IQR: 46.0, 67.0) years and incomplete paraplegia (41.9%, 95% CI: 39.3, 44.5). Survey non-response was higher in the oldest age group, among females, and those with tetraplegia.

CONCLUSIONS

The design of the Survey 2017 was successful in recruiting a substantial proportion of the SCI source population in Switzerland. To counteract survey non-response, survey weights may be applied to subsequent analyses.

SPONSORSHIP: none.