SAMPLING METHODS

Josephine Carnate, MD, MPH

Department of Family and Community Medicine
Definitions

Sampling

studying or examining only

a segment of a population
to represent the whole.

Mendoza, et.al. Foundations of Statistical

Analysis for the Health Sciences
Definitions

Target Population Sampling Population

group from which group from which a
representative sample will be taken
information is desired

group to which Sample

conclusions will be
segment of the
generalized
population selected into
the study
Mendoza, et.al. Foundations of Statistical
Analysis for the Health Sciences
Definitions
Is there a difference in the
training needs of OHPs in
rural and urban areas?

Target Population Target Population:

OHPs in rural and urban
Sampling Population areas

Sampling Population:
Sample
OHPs in Industrial Clinics in
Luzon

Sample:
OHPs in Industrial Clinics
Definitions

Elementary Unit Sampling Unit

units from which units which are chosen
measurements will in selecting the sample
actually be taken

Sampling Frame
list of all units

Mendoza, et.al. Foundations of Statistical

Analysis for the Health Sciences
Definitions
Is there a difference in the
training needs of OHPs in the
rural and urban areas?
Sampling Frame:
Target Population: List of Industrial Clinics in
OHPs in the rural and urban Luzon
areas
Sampling Unit:
Sampling Population: Industrial Clinics
OHPs in Industrial Clinics in
Luzon Elementary Unit:
OHPs
Definitions
Is there a difference in the
training needs of OHPs in the
rural and urban areas?
Sampling Frame:
Target Population: List of OHPs in Industrial
OHPs in the rural and urban Clinics in Luzon
areas
Sampling Unit:
Sampling Population: OHPs in Industrial Clinics
OHPs in Industrial Clinics in
Luzon Elementary Unit:
OHPs
Sampling Designs

Non- Probability Probability

use of non-random use of random procedures
procedures; members of to ensure that every
the population of interest member of the population
have no equal chances of of interest has an equal
being included in the chance of being included
sample in the sample
Best used for descriptive
rather than inferential
purposes
Sampling Designs

Non- Probability
1. Convenience
2. Purposive
• Snowball
• Quota
• Maximum variation
Sampling Designs

Probability
1. Simple Random Sampling
2. Stratified Random Sampling
3. Systematic Sampling
4. Multi-stage Sampling Steps
1. Select the target population
5. Cluster Sampling
2. Select the accessible population
3. State the eligibility criteria
4. Outline the sampling plan
5. Recruit the sample
Sampling Designs

Simple Random Sampling

Steps:
1. Prepare a sampling frame
2. Select the required number of
sampling units
— Lottery
— Use of random numbers
Sampling Designs
Is there a difference in the
Simple Random Sampling training needs of OHPs in
Steps: rural and urban areas?
1. Prepare a sampling frame: Target Population:
List of OHPs OHPs in urban and rural
Assign unique number 1! 80 areas
Sample size: 10 Sampling Population:
OHPs in Industrial Clinics in
2. Select the required number of Luzon
sampling units
— Lottery
— Use of random numbers
12345 6789
64249 6366
26538 4424
05845 0051 Sampling population: 80
74897 6837
20872 5457 Sample size: 10
31432 9615
66890 6150
48194 5779
11303 8711
54374 5732
64852 3442
16309 2038
42587 3706
Sampling Designs
Simple Random Sampling
Advantage: Disadvantage:
• Doesn’t need other • Requires a sampling frame of
supporting information the sampling units
to proceed with • May result to larger sampling
sampling errors, less precise estimates
• Subgroups of interest may
not be well represented
• Maybe costly if target
population is widely
geographically dispersed
Sampling Designs

Systematic Random Sampling

Steps:
1. Prepare a sampling frame
2. Calculate sampling interval, k
k = N/n
3. Determine random start which is any
number within the sampling interval k
4. Take a sample at regular intervals
(every kth)
Sampling Designs
Is there a difference in the
Systematic Random Sampling
training needs of OHPs in
Steps: rural and urban areas?
1. Prepare a sampling frame Target Population:
OHPs in urban and rural
List of OHPs number 1! 80 areas
2. Calculate sampling interval, k Sampling Population:
k = N/n = 8 OHPs in Industrial Clinics in
Luzon
Sample size: 10
3. Determine random start which is any
number within the sampling interval
4. Take a sample at regular intervals
1. Dr. A 16. Dr. O 66. Dr. AA
2. Dr. B 17. Dr. P 67. Dr. AB
3. Dr. C 18. Dr. Q 68. Dr. AC
4. Dr. D 19. Dr. R 69. Dr. AD
5. Dr. E 20. Dr. S 70. Dr. AE
6. Dr. F 21. Dr. T 71. Dr. AF
7. Dr. G 22. Dr. U 72. Dr. AG
8. Dr. H 23. Dr. V 73. Dr. AH
9. Dr. I 24. Dr. W 74. Dr. AI
10. Dr. J 25. Dr. X 75. Dr. AJ
11. Dr. K 26. Dr. Y 76. Dr. AK
12. Dr. K 27. Dr. Z 77. Dr. BK
13. Dr. L 28. Dr. AL 78. Dr. BL
14. Dr. M 29. Dr. AM 79. Dr. BM
15. Dr. N 30. Dr. AN 80. Dr. BN, etc
 N SO
A LFO

E RY
LEM

A R
L PIL
DE

L
TA A
Sampling Designs
Systematic Random Sampling
Advantage: Disadvantage:
• Ensures spread of • pseudo-random
sample population • may not have representative
across the target sample if sampling frame is
population arranged according to a
variable
Sampling Designs

Stratified Random Sampling

Proportionate sample is obtained from each group
(stratum)

Steps:
1. Divide the sampling population into non-
overlapping groups (strata)
2. Prepare a sampling frame for each stratum
3. Calculate for the sampling fraction, p
p= n/N
4. Select sample from each stratum =p using
simple random or systematic sampling
Sampling Designs
Is there a difference in the
Stratified Random Sampling
training needs of OHPs in
Steps: rural and urban areas?
1. Divide the sampling population into non-
Target Population:
overlapping groups (strata) OHPs in urban and rural
Years of practice areas
2. Prepare a sampling frame for each Sampling Population:
stratum OHPs in Industrial Clinics in
3. Calculate for the sampling fraction, p Luzon
p= n/N = 0.125
4. Select sample from each stratum =p
using simple random or systematic
sampling
< 10 years 10- 20 > 20 years
1. Dr. A years 1. Dr. AA
2. Dr. B 1. Dr. P 2. Dr. AB
3. Dr. C 2. Dr. Q 3. Dr. AC
4. Dr. D 3. Dr. R 4. Dr. AD
5. Dr. E 4. Dr. S 5. Dr. AE
6. Dr. F 5. Dr. T 6. Dr. AF
7. Dr. G 6. Dr. U 7. Dr. AG
8. Dr. H 7. Dr. V 8. Dr. AH
9. Dr. I 8. Dr. W 9. Dr. AI
10. Dr. J 9. Dr. X 10. Dr. AJ
10. Dr. Y

16. Dr. K 40. Dr. BA

24. Dr. AL
2 3 5
Sampling Designs
Stratified Random Sampling
Advantage: Disadvantage:
• more representative • Requires information on
sample population distribution,
• Allows analyses of requires sampling frame per
stratum
within-stratum patterns
• More expensive, time
• Permits comparisons consuming and complicated
between stratum
Sampling Designs

Cluster Sampling
Groups are randomly selected and all elements belonging to
the sampled groups are included

Steps:
1. Prepare sampling frame with groups (cluster) as
sampling unit
2. Take a simple random sample of clusters.
3. All elements in the chosen clusters will be included in
the sample.
Note: sample size should consider design effect
Sampling Designs
Is there a difference in the
Cluster Sampling training needs of OHPs in
Steps: rural and urban areas?
Target Population:
1. Prepare sampling frame with OHPs in urban and rural
groups (cluster) as sampling unit areas
Industrial Clinics
Sampling Population:
2. Take a simple random sample of OHPs in Industrial Clinics in
clusters. Luzon

3. All elements in the chosen clusters

will be included in the sample.
1. St. Andrew’s Clinic
2. St. Dominic’s Health Center
3. Green Meadows Industrial Clinic Is there a difference in the
training needs of OHPs in
4. White Sands Clinic
rural and urban areas?
5. Pacific Islands Wellness Center
6. San Andres Bukid Clinic Target Population:
OHPs in urban and rural
7. Puting Bato Health Center
areas
8. Muntinlupa Industrial Clinic
Sampling Unit:
9. San Domingo Wellness Center
Industrial Clinic
10. Damoverde Industrial Center
Elementary Unit:
All OHPs in the cluster
Sampling Designs
Cluster Sampling
Advantage: Disadvantage:
• Doesn’t require • larger sampling error
sampling frame of • Requires more complex
elementary units analysis of data
Sampling Designs
Multi- stage Sampling
The population is divided into a hierarchy of sampling units
corresponding to the different sampling stages

Steps:
1. Divide the population into 1st stage sampling units and
randomly select a sample
2. Divide the selected sampling units into secondary sampling
units (2nd stage) and randomly select a sample
3. Divide the selected 2nd stage sample into tertiary sampling
units (3rd stage) and randomly select a sample
Note: requires sophisticated statistical inference methodologies
 Provinces

Cavite Laguna Batangas Rizal Quezon Is there a difference in the

training needs of OHPs in
rural and urban areas?
Bacoor Municipalities Angono Target Population:
Imus Binangonan OHPs in urban and rural
Dasmarinas Cainta areas
Silang Morong
Sampling Units:
Tagaytay Tanay 1st stage: Provinces
2nd stage: Municipalities
3rd stage: Industrial Clinics
Elementary Unit:
Industrial Clinics OHPs
Sampling Error
• The difference between the sample value
and the unknown true value
Sampling error
Non-sampling error

Parameter Target Population Statistic

σ s
P p
Sample
Sampling Error
• The difference between the sample value
and the unknown true value
Sampling error
Non-sampling error

Selection Bias
• Criteria used to recruit and enroll patients
into separate study cohorts are inherently
different. Pannucci, et.al. Identifying and Avoiding Bias
in Research

• Result from procedures used to select

subjects and from factors that influence
participation in the study. Porta, M. A Dictionary
of Epidemiology
Sampling Error
• The difference between the sample value
and the unknown true value
Sampling error
Non-sampling error
• Cannot be eliminated, but can be minimized
appropriate sampling methodology
enough sample size
Writing the Methodology-Study
Population

• Source of the study population

• Selection Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
Exclusion Criteria
• Sampling Design
• Sample Size
OUTPUT 4: Sampling
CRITERIA SCORE
1. Identified and defined the following correctly and
adequately:
• Study population 0.5
• Sample population 0.5
• Sampling frame 0.5
• Sampling unit 0.5
• Elementary unit 0.5
2. Identified sampling design to be utilized 1.0
3. Sampling design appropriate for objectives, study
1.5
design and study population
4. Correctly and adequately described process of
selection of cases/those with exposure (as 2.0
appropriate)
5. Correctly and adequately described process of
selection of controls/those without exposure (as 2.0
appropriate)
6. Followed format 1.0
TOTAL 10
References:
1. Mendoza, et. al. Foundations of Statistical
Analysis for the Health Science. Philippines
2007
2. Sanchez, F., Morelos, S. Baltazar, J. (1989)
Research Methods in Health and Medicine. Vol1.
Philippine Council for Health Research. DOST.
Manila.
3. Tolabing, C. Module on Epidemiology and
Biostatistics for Public Health Doctors and
Nurses, Lecture Notes.