TY - JOUR T1 - Twenty years with RHINE - Patterns and implications of non-response JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J VL - 42 IS - Suppl 57 SP - P985 AU - Ane Johannessen AU - Thorarinn Gislason AU - Vivi Schlünssen AU - Karl Franklin AU - Kjell Toren AU - Mathias Holm AU - Rain Jögi AU - Cecilie Svanes AU - Ernst Omenaas AU - Francisco Gomez Real AU - Ferenc Macsali AU - Trude Duelien Skorge AU - Marie Waatevik AU - Eirunn Waatevik Saure AU - Torben Sigsgaard AU - Bryndis Benediktsdottir AU - Roy Miodini Nilsen AU - Christer Janson Y1 - 2013/09/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/42/Suppl_57/P985.abstract N2 - Background: The Respiratory Health in Northern Europe (RHINE) study started in 1990 and has for more than 20 years been conducted in study centers in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Estonia.Aims: To examine if and how non-response over time affects prevalence and association estimates.Methods: Participants answered questionnaires in 1990, 2000 and 2011-12. We compared age and sex distribution between those who responded only in 1990, and those who responded in both 1990 and 2011-12. We compared baseline prevalence of 10 respiratory symptoms and also associations between age/sex and asthma, rhinitis and wheeze between all 1990 responders and those who also responded in 2011-12.Results: Of 21673 subjects aged 20-44 at baseline, 61% participated also in 2011-12 (N=13142). Long-term responders were slightly older than non-responders in 2011-12 (32.1 yrs versus 31.0 yrs (p<0.05)), and a larger proportion was female (53% vs 48% (p<0.05)). There was a slightly lower baseline prevalence (p<0.05) of wheeze, dyspnea and cough symptoms among long-term responders (e.g. waking with dyspnea 4.3% (3.9, 4.7) and chest tightness 10.7% (10.1, 11.3)) than among the total population (e.g. waking with dyspnea 4.8% (95%CI 4.5, 5.2) and chest tightness 11.4% (95%CI 10.9, 11.8)), but no difference in asthma and rhinitis outcomes. Association measures between age/sex and asthma, rhinitis and wheeze were not affected by long-term follow-up.Conclusions: Long-term responders were slightly older and more often women than non-responders. Long-term responders had slightly less baseline respiratory symptoms than the total baseline population, but associations between age/sex and respiratory symptoms do not differ. ER -