Lecture 4 Sampling Techniques

Debre Tabor University
College of Health sciences

Social and Public Health Unit
Types and Techniques of Sampling
By: Marelign Tilahun (Assistant Professor, MPH in Epidemiology & Biostatistics)

Sampling Techniques
What is Sampling?
Why Sampling?
Types of Sampling?
 Advantage and disadvantage of each sampling technique?
When to use each sampling?
Sample size estimation?
Sampling & non-sampling error?
How to reduce sampling error?

For each of the following research questions identify the appropriate
specific sampling technique
a. Contraceptive use among women in the reproductive age group in Arba Minch
town
b. Malaria infection among under five children in Kebelle “X” in Arba Minch
town
c. Malnutrition among under 5 children in Amhara region.
d. Factors associated with Age at first sexual initiation among youths visiting HIV
testing and counseling centers in Gamo-Gofa Zone, South West Ethiopia
Selecting a sampling method
 Population to be studied
– Size/geographical distribution
– Heterogeneity with respect to variable
 Availability of list of sampling units
 Level of precision required
 Resources available
Sampling is a procedure by which some members of the given
population are selected as representative of the entire population
The population is too large for us to consider collecting

information from all its members.
Instead we select a sample of individuals hoping that the sample

is representative of the population.
Types of sampling
I. Probability sampling
 probability sampling method is any method of sampling that
utilizes some form of random selection.
 Every individual of the target population has equal chance to be

included in the sample.
 Generalization is possible (from sample to population)
 A sampling frame exists or can be compiled.
 Involve random selection procedures.

A) Simple random sampling (SRS)
 This is the most basic scheme of random sampling.
 Each unit in the sampling frame has an equal chance of being

selected
 Representativeness of the sample is ensured.
 However, it is costly to conduct SRS.
 Moreover, minority subgroups of interest in the population my

not be present in the sample in sufficient numbers for study.
B) Systematic Sampling
• Individuals are chosen at regular intervals (for example, every
kth) from the sampling frame.
• The first unit to be selected is taken at random from among the
first k units.
• For example, a systematic sample is to be selected from 1200
students of a school. The sample size is decided to be 100.
• The sampling fraction is: 100 /1200 = 1/12.
• Hence, the sample interval is 12.

• The number of the first student to be included in the sample is
chosen randomly, for example by blindly picking one out of
twelve pieces of paper, numbered 1 to 12.
• If number 6 is picked, every twelfth student will be included in

the sample, starting with student number 6, until 100 students
are selected.
• The numbers selected would be 6,18,30,42,etc

Merits
• Systematic sampling is usually less time consuming and easier to
perform than simple random sampling.
• It provides a good approximation to SRS.
• Unlike SRS, systematic sampling can be conducted without a
sampling frame (useful in some situations where a sampling
frame is not readily available).
• E.g. In patients attending a health center, where it is not possible
to predict in advance who will be attending
Demerits
• If there is any sort of cyclic pattern in the ordering of the
subjects which coincides with the sampling interval, the sample
will not be representative of the population.
Examples
- List of married couples arranged with men's names alternatively

with the women's names (every 2nd, 4th, etc.) will result in a
sample of all men or women).
C) Stratified Sampling
• It is appropriate when the distribution of the characteristic to be
studied is strongly affected by certain variable (heterogeneous
population).
• The population is first divided into groups (strata) according to a
characteristic of interest (eg., sex, geographic area, prevalence of
disease, etc.).
• A separate sample is then taken independently from each
stratum, by simple random or systematic sampling.
Merit
• The representativeness of the sample is improved.
• That is, adequate representation of minority subgroups of

interest can be ensured by stratification and by varying the
sampling fraction between strata as required.
Demerit
• Sampling frame for the entire population has to be prepared
separately for each stratum.
D) Cluster sampling
• In this sampling scheme, selection of the required sample is done on
groups of study units (clusters) instead of each study unit individually.
• The sampling unit is a cluster, and the sampling frame is a list of these
clusters.
Procedure
• The reference population (homogeneous) is divided into clusters.
• These clusters are often geographic units (eg districts, villages, etc.)
• A sample of such clusters is selected
• All the units in the selected clusters are studied

Merit
• A list of all the individual study units in the reference
population is not required.
• It is sufficient to have a list of clusters.
Demerit
• It is based on the assumption that the characteristic to be
studied is uniformly distributed throughout the reference
population, which may not always be the case.
• Hence, sampling error is usually higher than for a simple
random sample of the same size.
E) Multi-stage sampling
• This method is appropriate when the reference population is large and
widely scattered.
• Selection is done in stages until the final sampling unit (e.g.
households or persons) are arrived at.
• The primary sampling unit (PSU) is the sampling unit (usually large
size) in the first sampling stage.
• The secondary sampling unit (SSU) is the sampling unit in the second
sampling stage, etc.
• Example - The PSUs could be kebeles and the SSUs could be
households.
II. Non-probability sampling
 No random selection (unrepresentative of the given population)
 Used when a sampling frame does not exist
 Inappropriate if the aim is to measure variables and generalize
findings obtained from a sample to the population.
 They are cheaper and easier.
 Good for pretests, pilot studies, In-depth interviews

Snowball: A key informant is identified first and the key informant in turn
identifies members of the target group.
The process continues until the required size is achieved
Purposive: Selection of subjects on the basis of your knowledge of the

population, its elements and the nature of the research objective
Convenience: Selection of a sample based on easy accessibility.

 The study units that happen to be available at the time of data collection are
selected
– friends, workmates
Quota: selection of samples based on a fixed quota.

 Investigator interviews as many people as he can find until he has filled his
quota.
Sampling error(random error)
 When we take a sample, our results will not exactly equal the
correct results for the whole population. That is, our results will
be subject to errors.
 This error has two components: sampling and non-sampling
errors
a) Sampling error (random error)

 Consists of random deviations from the true value which can
occur in any direction
 The opposite of reliability (i.e., Precision or repeatability)
Sampling error(random error)
 Sampling error (random error) can be minimized by increasing
the size of the sample
 Reliability or precision: This refers to the repeatability of a
measure, i.e., the degree of closeness between repeated
measurement of the same value.
 Reliability addresses the question, if the same thing is measured
several times, how close are the measurements to each other?
b) Non Sampling error (bias)
 Consists of systematic deviations from the true value, always in the
same direction.
 Bias is the opposite of validity
 It is possible to eliminate or reduce the non-sampling error (bias) by

careful design of the sampling procedure.
Validity: This refers to the degree of closeness between a measurement

and the true value of what is being measured.
 Validity addresses the question, how close is the measured value to
the true value?
Examples of types of bias in sampling include:
 Accessibility bias, seasonability bias, self-reporting bias, volunteer
bias, non-response bias etc.
 Non-response bias refers to failure to obtain information on some of
the subjects included in the sample to be studied.
 Non-response should be kept to a minimum. E.g. below 15%

Methods of maintaining non-response at a low level:
 Training data collectors to initiate contact with study subjects in a

respectful way
 Offering incentives to encourage participation(should be done by taking
account of the potential problems that may arise in conducting future
research)
 By making repeated attempts (at least 3 times) to contact study subjects
who were absent at the time of the initial visit.
Sample Size Determination: Single population proportion
 Let p denotes proportion of success, then

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Debre Tabor University

College of Health sciences

Types and Techniques of Sampling

By: Marelign Tilahun (Assistant Professor, MPH in Epidemiology & Biostatistics)

 Advantage and disadvantage of each sampling technique?

When to use each sampling?

Sample size estimation?

Sampling & non-sampling error?

How to reduce sampling error?

c. Malnutrition among under 5 children in Amhara region.

– Heterogeneity with respect to variable

 Availability of list of sampling units

 Level of precision required

The population is too large for us to consider collecting

Instead we select a sample of individuals hoping that the sample

 Every individual of the target population has equal chance to be

 A sampling frame exists or can be compiled.

 Involve random selection procedures.

 Each unit in the sampling frame has an equal chance of being

 However, it is costly to conduct SRS.

 Moreover, minority subgroups of interest in the population my

• Hence, the sample interval is 12.

• If number 6 is picked, every twelfth student will be included in

• The numbers selected would be 6,18,30,42,etc

- List of married couples arranged with men's names alternatively

• That is, adequate representation of minority subgroups of

• A sample of such clusters is selected

• All the units in the selected clusters are studied

 No random selection (unrepresentative of the given population)

 Used when a sampling frame does not exist

 Inappropriate if the aim is to measure variables and generalize

findings obtained from a sample to the population.

 They are cheaper and easier.

 Good for pretests, pilot studies, In-depth interviews

The process continues until the required size is achieved

Purposive: Selection of subjects on the basis of your knowledge of the

Convenience: Selection of a sample based on easy accessibility.

Quota: selection of samples based on a fixed quota.

a) Sampling error (random error)

 It is possible to eliminate or reduce the non-sampling error (bias) by

Validity: This refers to the degree of closeness between a measurement

 Non-response should be kept to a minimum. E.g. below 15%

 Training data collectors to initiate contact with study subjects in a

 Let p denotes proportion of success, then

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