COMPARISON OF SUBJECTS WHO FULLY VERSUS MINIMALLY PARTICIPATED IN A BREAST-FEEDING STUDY

Sampling bias occurs in research when a large percentage of subjects w ho are eligible for the study refuse to participate. During Phase I of a two-phase multisite Mother-Baby Feeding Project, approximately 50% of the 235 potential participants at four of five sites declined to en ter the study. This report compares subjects who fully participated wi th those who minimally participated and explores factors related to su bjects' refusal to participate. Data regarding sociodemographic data, breast-feeding experience, and reason for refusal were collected from 92 subjects who declined to enter but agreed to minimally participate. The fully participating subjects had more education than those who pa rticipated minimally. However, the breast-feeding outcomes studied wer e similar for both groups. This provides support for generalizing addi tional study findings beyond the group of fully participating subjects when considering breast-feeding outcomes. Findings lend insight into the problem of subject recruitment that is not well-addressed in the n ursing literature.