Research / BFI Working PaperMay 18, 2023

Representation and Hesitancy in Population Health Research: Evidence from a COVID-19 Antibody Study

Deniz Dutz, Michael Greenstone, Ali Hortaçsu, Santiago Lacouture, Magne Mogstad, Azeem Shaikh, Alexander Torgovitsky, Winnie van Dijk

We examine why minority and poor households are often underrepresented in studies that require active participation. Using data from a serological study with randomized participation incentives, we find large participation gaps by race and income when incentives are low, but not when incentives are high. We develop a framework for using randomized incentives to disentangle the roles of hesitancy and non-contact in driving the participation gaps, and find that hesitancy is the predominant factor. Hesitancy rates strongly correlate with hospitalization rates and COVID-19 risk, suggesting that individuals facing higher health risks may be underrepresented in studies with low incentives.

More Research From These Scholars

BFI Working Paper Oct 21, 2019

Design and Analysis of Cluster-Randomized Field Experiments in Panel Data Settings

Bharat K. Chandar, Ali Hortaçsu, John List, Ian Muir, Jeffrey M. Wooldridge
Topics:  Employment & Wages
BFI Working Paper Apr 23, 2021

Financial Fragility in the COVID-19 Crisis: The Case of Investment Funds in Corporate Bond Markets

Antonio Falato, Itay Goldstein, Ali Hortaçsu
Topics:  COVID-19, Financial Markets
BFI Working Paper Sep 8, 2020

Reservation Wages and Workers’ Valuation of Job Flexibility: Evidence from a Natural Field Experiment

Kuan-Ming Chen, Ning Ding, John List, Magne Mogstad