Survey Methods
Survey of Older Minnesotans –
Survey Methods
The Survey of Older
Minnesotans was collected via telephone interviews
with a random sample of noninstitutionalized
persons aged 50 and over in the state of
Minnesota. The sample was stratified into Metro
and Non-Metro regions; independent samples were
drawn for each region so that the total number of
completed interviews in each could be controlled,
allowing for both analyses of both the regional
and merged samples. The final merged sample size
was 3,855 persons. The margin of error for this
sample is less than 2%.
Interviews were conducted
between May 13 and June 20, 2005. The average
interview length was 20.1 minutes. Sampled
telephone numbers were called according to a
schedule designed to minimize bias problems
associated with difficult-to-reach respondents.
Each number in the sample was called up to 12
times, or until the interview was completed or the
respondent declined to be interviewed.
Survey data were entered and
automatically consolidated into a CATI database as
the interviews were being conducted. Finally, the
data were weighted to account for the sample
design and to reduce the effect of unit
nonresponse. The population estimates used for
poststratification weighting were county-level
estimates—grouped into region—by age and gender
for July 1, 2003, published by the U.S. Census.
The survey was conducted
under contract to the Minnesota Department of
Human Services by Clearwater Research, Inc. in
Boise Idaho.
