Why Should We Participate in their Studies? A Focus Group Study of Young Peoples' Attitudes to Health Surveys

Abstract

Background: The aim of the present study was to explore aspects of health that are relevant to adolescents and young adults and how to frame health related questionnaires so that they are more relevant to them. Methods: Data were collected by focus-group interviews. Participants were recruited in suburban areas characterized by high unemployment, low income and a high proportion of recent immigrants. Result: Meaningfulness emerged as important, in parallel with disappointment about not being listened to. Attempts in questionnaires to discover body weight were considered uncomfortable as were questions on ethnicity. Family and friends were considered fundamental for health while money was regarded as less important and with some ambiguousness. Conclusion: Motivation and feedback were aspects that seemed most important in this context. To include the respondent’s perspective when constructing questionnaires decreases risk of harm and may increase participation rates. Conducting research without feedback risks decreasing participation in future studies.