[Mikeod]

Originally Posted by Villages PL

If I didn't get all of the questions that everyone else got, I still say it was a poorly designed survey. And, hey, Mallory, if it was an extensive interview on the radio, tell me why there were different versions of the survey. What was the explaination for it?

OK, consider this. Let's say the developers of the survey came up with about 100 questions they want to ask. But they are concerned that recipients will balk at a survey that long, so they want get the returns they need to make the results usable. So, they design several versions of the survey, so that all 100 questions get asked, but not by everyone surveyed. They can send out the versions randomly so that an equal number of each version is distributed. With 80,000 surveys out, there should be enough response to each question to make it legitimate. IMO not poorly designed. Sorry you feel slighted, and hope you participate.

PS I have no relationship with USF, and don't know if this was their rationale for the different surveys. But my experience with similar surveys leads me to this hypothesis.

[Villages PL]

Originally Posted by mikeod

Sorry you feel slighted, and hope you participate.

PS I have no relationship with USF, and don't know if this was their rationale for the different surveys. But my experience with similar surveys leads me to this hypothesis.

Thank you and swrinfla for your thoughtfull input. If this issue alone were the only reason for me not participating, I probably would change my mind. But as you will see in a new thread, there's more. Thread heading: Why the USF/Villages health alliance is a bad idea.

[Avista]

Originally Posted by mikeod

OK, consider this. Let's say the developers of the survey came up with about 100 questions they want to ask. But they are concerned that recipients will balk at a survey that long, so they want get the returns they need to make the results usable. So, they design several versions of the survey, so that all 100 questions get asked, but not by everyone surveyed. They can send out the versions randomly so that an equal number of each version is distributed. With 80,000 surveys out, there should be enough response to each question to make it legitimate. IMO not poorly designed. Sorry you feel slighted, and hope you participate.

PS I have no relationship with USF, and don't know if this was their rationale for the different surveys. But my experience with similar surveys leads me to this hypothesis.

I was is a focus group. That is exactly what happened.

[graciegirl]

Villages Pl. The survey was to get information on topics that were of interest to USF. The survey was not designed to get information that was of interest to you.

You have stated you take no medication, which is nice and extremely unusual but that doesn't mean you are in better health than those of us who take medications.

You try to make wise choices for a healthy diet and to have enough exercise and that is very good. But many people have done the same and because of the genetic hand they were dealt or being in a situation where they were exposed to something, they developed illness.

I think you are a wonderful person, and a caring person and a person that I would want to know, but there are other ways to look at health in general and perhaps USF is doing just that, and perhaps they aren't.

I don't have a huge medical background or one in research, but the survey seems to me to be a good first step in gaining information from this very interesting group of grown up people. It is a LARGE group of people over 55 who are largely able to care for themselves and have the means to do so, which makes it an interesting demographic.

I can see how much this whole issue means to you and I think it is heading in the very direction you would hope, eventually anyway.

[Mudder]

Well said, Gracie. Hope villagesPL reads your response and thinks about it, then decides that it would be a good idea to complete the survey.
It's a start for sure.
The famous Framingham Heart study started out with much less sophistication than this USF study and it was the standard bearer for years.

[pqrstar]

For Village PL

I too attended the lecture by Dr. Peterson at Savannah on Feb. 7

The various versions of the survery were definitely discussed.

[Villages PL]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

Villages Pl. The survey was to get information on topics that were of interest to USF. The survey was not designed to get information that was of interest to you.

None of my information was of interest to me. It was just a lot of boring information that I already knew about myself. I know what you mean though. By the way, I'm already in a health study: It's the, "NIH AARP Diet and Health Study". It started in 1995 and is still ongoing. There were a lot more questions about everything. There were seemingly endless detailed questions about diet and exercise. No stone was left unturned. But plenty of people, including myself, were okay with all the questions. I imagine so because they ended up with 500,000 people in the study. So I'm not sure I agree with those who say the purpose of USF was to not have the survey be too long. 10 or 20 more questions, for example, wouldn't have hurt.

You have stated you take no medication, which is nice and extremely unusual but that doesn't mean you are in better health than those of us who take medications.

In some cases that may be true. But as I have just read, all medications can and often do have side effects. And multiple medications can have adverse effects long term. What I have just read is that many people have side effects and don't realize it. What I especially found interesting is that it's not uncommon for patients to report it to their doctor and the doctor then reasures them that it's not the medication that's causing their symptoms. This comes from research.

You try to make wise choices for a healthy diet and to have enough exercise and that is very good. But many people have done the same and because of the genetic hand they were dealt or being in a situation where they were exposed to something, they developed illness.

True, I used to smoke and was exposed to asbestos. Also, there's been a lot of cancer and dementia in my family. So I am at risk like everyone else. Would that be reason to live a healthy lifestyle or not? I believe it would be.

I think you are a wonderful person, and a caring person and a person that I would want to know, but there are other ways to look at health in general and perhaps USF is doing just that, and perhaps they aren't.

Thanks for the compliment. I think they are looking at health in general in a different way and I'll talk about that at some other time, hopefully soon. I wouldn't have time to fit that in now.

[Villages PL]

Originally Posted by pqrstar

For Village PL

I too attended the lecture by Dr. Peterson at Savannah on Feb. 7

The various versions of the survery were definitely discussed.

If that's the date of the last lecture they gave, I was there but have no recollection of Dr. Peterson talking about various versions. I was in another room where they had screens set up for viewing and there was a problem with it at one point. It was a distraction and might have been the reason I didn't hear all of it.

Did you, by any chance, catch the reason for the different versions? No one yet has been able to say for sure.

[Villages PL]

Originally Posted by swrinfla

I am persuaded that there will be a follow-on survey before the year is out aimed at addressing some of the "faults" in this first survey!

Maybe that will be the one for me! I'm gonna be a picky responder. If I miss this one it won't be a big deal. I believe one less person will be what they call, "statistically insignificant".

[Avista]

Originally Posted by Villages PL

If that's the date of the last lecture they gave, I was there but have no recollection of Dr. Peterson talking about various versions. I was in another room where they had screens set up for viewing and there was a problem with it at one point. It was a distraction and might have been the reason I didn't hear all of it.

Did you, by any chance, catch the reason for the different versions? No one yet has been able to say for sure.

The reason for the different versions is they thought compliance would not be as good with a very long version. By breaking it into thirds it was felt compliance would be better. (I took part in a focus group.)

[philnpat]

I feel left out...I never got a survey

[John_W]

I agree with Villages PL that the survey was lacking. I do a 75 minute workout four days a week, ride a bike 7 miles twice a week, play golf on a championship course twice a week and play softball on Saturdays. My wife does none of that and after doing our surveys her sheet wasn't much different than mine.

[Pturner]

Originally Posted by philnpat

I feel left out...I never got a survey

I just got mine in today's mail; so perhaps yours is on the way.

Strange thing though, although we are a two-person household, our package includes four surveys.

I seem to remember in another thread that someone claimed that the responses were to be mailed to TV rather than to USF Health. This does not appear to be the case. My return envelop is addressed to USF Health in Tampa.

[John_W]

Originally Posted by Pturner

I seem to remember in another thread that someone claimed that the responses were to be mailed to TV rather than to USF Health. This does not appear to be the case. My return envelop is addressed to USF Health in Tampa.

That's true about the return envelope but the two times TV newspaper had a feature on the survey it stated you can drop your finished survey into the amenities slot at your post office.

[villages07]

PT .... I did my online so don't recall what was on the mailer envelope and whether it was prepaid postage or not. Sounds like they mailed yours to Atlanta so you would not be able to drop it off in person.

Here in TV, you can drop it off in special non USPS collection boxes at any mail station or at the USF office in Lake Sumter. Saves postage.

Not sure why they would have 4 copies for you ... perhaps some mixup between you and former owners of your home?

Filling in online is easy and, to me, faster than penciling in circles. Only took about 10 minutes.

Originally Posted by Pturner

I just got mine in today's mail; so perhaps yours is on the way.

Strange thing though, although we are a two-person household, our package includes four surveys.

I seem to remember in another thread that someone claimed that the responses were to be mailed to TV rather than to USF Health. This does not appear to be the case. My return envelop is addressed to USF Health in Tampa.