CHARACTERISTICS OF INTERVIEW REFUSERS - WOMEN WHO DECLINE TO PARTICIPATE IN INTERVIEWS RELATING TO EATING

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the eating habits and weight ranges of 27 women who refused to participate in a semistructu red interview on eating with 25 women who agreed to participate, to de termine if there were any systematic differences between the two group s. Method: The women had previously completed a general psychiatric in terview that also included a lifetime DSM-III-R diagnosis of eating di sorders. About 2 years after this interview, the women were asked to p articipate in an interview that would specifically examine eating beha viors. Results: In contrast to the results of previous studies, this s tudy found that there was no difference between women who refused or a greed to participate in an interview about eating, in terms of their e ating problems or weight ranges. Conclusions: It seems that eating or weight problems need not be overrepresented in groups who refuse to pa rticipate in surveys about eating, thereby undermining the accuracy of prevalence rates in the general population. Suggestions for achieving this representation are discussed. (C) 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc .