Abstract
This report describes findings from the Hypertension Detection and Follow-Up Program (HDFP) on the relationship between traits of interviewers and outcome of blood pressure measurements taken during home interviews. Mean diastolic blood pressure readings and prevalence data for 137,417 respondents taken by 617 interviewers are analyzed. Findings from regression analysis show that the magnitude of the absolute or relative difference in outcome of blood pressure measurements is associated much more positively with the characteristics of race and sex of therespondent than these characteristics in the interviewer.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Benney M, Reisman D, Star SA: Age and sex in the interview,Am J. of Soc 62:143–152, 1956.
Lenski F, Leggestt JC: Caste, class, and deference in the research interview.Am J of Soc 65:463–467, 1960.
Boyd Jr HW, Westfall R: Interviewer bias revisited.J Marketing Research 2:58–63, 1968.
Colombotos J, Elinson J, Loewenstein R: Effect of interviewers' sex on interview responses.Public Health Reports 83:685–690, 1968.
Dohrenwend BS, Colombotos J, Dohrenwend BP: Social distance and interviewer effects.Public Opinion Quarterly 32:410–422, 1968.
Schuman H, Converse JM: The effects of black and white interviewers on black responses in 1968.Public Opinion Quarterly 35:44–68, 1971.
Choi IC, Comstock GW: Interviewer effect on responses to a questionnaire relating to mood.Am J of Epidem 101:84–92, 1975.
U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Research Proceedings Series. Advances in health survey research methods: Proceedings of a national invitational conference. DHEW Publication No. (HRA) 77-185-199, 1965.
Schaeffer NC: Evaluating race-of-interviewer effects in a national survey.Socio Meth Res 8:400–419, 1980.
Sudman S, Bradburn M:Response Effects in Surveys. Chicago, Aldine Publishing Comapny, 1974.
Reiser MF, Reeves PB, Armington J: Effect of variation in laboratory procedure and experimenter upon the ballistocardiogram, blood pressure and heart rate in healthy young men.Psychosomatic Med 17:185–199, 1965.
Van der Valk JM: Blood pressure changes under emotional influence in patients with essential hypertension, and control subjects.J Psychosomatic Res 2:134–146, 1957.
Williams RB, Kimball CP, Willard HN: The influence of interpersonal interaction on diastolic blood pressure.Psychosomatic Med 34:194–198, 1972.
Williams RB, McKegney FP: Psychological aspects of hypertension. I. The influence of experimental interview variables on blood pressure.Yale J of Bio and Med 38:265–272, 1965.
The HDFP Cooperative Group: The Hypertension Detection and Follow-Up Program.Prev Med 5:207–215, 1976.
The HDPF Cooperative Group: Blood pressure studies in 14 communities.JAMA 237:2385–2391, 1977.
Additional information
On Behalf of the Hypertension Detection and Follow-Up Program Cooperative Group.
The research upon which this publication is based was performed pursuant to Contract Numbers NO1-HV-12433-42; NO1-HV-22931, 37–39, 45; NO1-HV-32933; NO1-HV-72915 and NO1-HV-82915 with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services.
Requests for reprints should be addressed to: Scientific Project Officer, Hypertension Detection and Follow-Up Program, DHVD, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH, Room 6A-14, Federal Building, 7550 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20205.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kraus, J.F., Conley, A., Hardy, R. et al. Relationship of demographic characteristics of interviewers to blood pressure measurements. J Community Health 8, 3–12 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01324392
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01324392