Meta-Review of Sampling Dilemmas in Health Education Research: Design Issues and Ethical Precepts

Abstract

Discussed is the previously unexamined relationship in health education literature between sampling techniques used in health behavior research and the ethical dilemmas investigators in the field must regularly negotiate. The intent is to describe the inherent weaknesses in both areas and to offer possible options for improvement The concepts of two-level randomization, validity of inferring results to a source population, snowball, and central location intercept sampling strategies are explored. The ethics of selecting specific sampling approaches as well as research designs to conduct research on “hidden populations” or disenfranchized cohorts such as runaways or intravenous drug users, is also examined. Recommendations are offered to enhance these two interrelated domains of inquiry and thus strengthen the image of the field both academically and publicly.