Strategies for sampling black and ethnic minority populations

BACKGROUND: The objective of the study was to describe the design and sampling methods used to carry out face-to-face interviews with a sample of the black and ethnic minority population of the area. This study was conducted in the city of Bristol, England (part of Bristol and District Health Authority). METHODS: The sample was based on up to 1000 interviews with black Caribbean/African, South Asian and Far-East Asian residents. The design of the study focuses on the problems of definition of the appropriate group to sample and the various sampling techniques that were necessary to procure the interviews. RESULTS: A total of 574 interviews were carried out by bilingual interviewers matched for sex and ethnicity of the respondent, thereby allowing analysis that would be beneficial to the Health Authority in its planning and decision-making. CONCLUSIONS: The use of name spotting and 'snowball' sampling proved the most productive. The Electoral Register was preferred to the Family Health Services Authority lists. Interviewers must be carefully selected and adequately trained to work in this difficult area. The questionnaire must be culturally and linguistically acceptable across all the ethnic groups.