Relative Bias in Health Estimates from Probability-Based Online Panels: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Andrea Ivanovska 

Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana
https://orcid.org/0009-0008-2653-2503

Michael Bosnjak
Department of Psychology, University of Trier, Germany
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1431-8461

Vasja Vehovar
Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3253-7959

https://doi.org/10.33700/jhrs.4.1.137

Abstract

Introduction: Health surveys require the highest data quality, especially when they inform public health policies. With recent technological developments, probability-based online panels (PBOPs) are becoming an attractive cost-effective alternative to traditional surveys. They are also beginning to be used for official health statistics. However, PBOPs still face concerns about bias, especially for health-related estimates.

Method: Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of PBOP PBOP health survey data quality, with relative bias (RB) of the estimates as the effect size. We analysed 137 health-related survey items from 14 studies and used a linear regression model to examine factors that moderate RB.

Results: The RB varied considerably across the subjects, and its overall median was 12.7%. The highest RBs were exhibited by disabilities (23.6%), mental illnesses (23.2%), personal mental health conditions (20.8%) and drug use (20.7%), and the lowest, by doctor’s treatment (2.24%). The measurement levels with ordinal scales (25.8%) showed higher RB, and certain country effects were also observed.

Conclusion: This moderate bias of the health estimates raises concerns about the accuracy of PBOP estimates regarding sensitive health topics. Therefore, PBOP should be used cautiously for official health statistics; and when designing PBOP surveys for health subjects, the item and study characteristics should be included as methodological considerations.

Keywords: Probability-based online panels, Data quality, Relative bias, Meta-analysis, Health research

Full Text Article

Family Quality of Life from the Perspective of Parents of Children with Intellectual Disabilities

Dajana Bulić 

Center for Rehabilitation Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4143-9426

Tomislav Ljutic 

Kindergarten Potočnica

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2766-8372

Renata Pinjatela 

University of zagreb, Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation sciences

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5601-1425

https://doi.org/10.33700/jhrs.4.1.154

Abstract

Aim: The quality of life of families with children with intellectual disabilities has been frequently analysed in recent research. There are numerous factors that influence the quality of life of families. The aim of the study was to determine the quality of life of families of children with intellectual disabilities who are cared for by the Sloboština Rehabilitation Centre.

Methods: The study used the Beach Center Family Quality of Life Scale questionnaire, which was completed online by the parents. 51 parents of children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities took part in the study.

Results: The results of the study show that the overall quality of life is satisfactory. However, parents of children with intellectual disabilities are least satisfied with emotional well-being and disability-related support. They are not satisfied with the time they have to pursue their interests or with outside help for all family members. They also consider the support a child with disabilities receives at school to be mediocre. No statistically significant differences in quality of life were found in relation to the age and gender of parents and children, except for the family interaction subscale, where families with girls had a better quality of life.

Conclusion: The results of the study show that although the overall quality of life is satisfactory, families of children with intellectual disabilities need external support that provides them with some free time but also aims to support all family members.

Keywords: family quality of life, intellectual disability, parents, children, support

Full Text Article

Call for Papers Vol.4, Issue 2, 2025

Dear colleagues and readers,

We would like to inform you that the first issue of the 4th volume of Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences was published online on August 3d, 2025. A total number of 7 papers are published. We have opened the call for papers for Issue 2, Vol. 4 of JHRS.

Volume 4, Issue 1 Table of Contents

 Rehabilitation Research
Article: Family Quality of Life from the Perspective of Parents of Children with Intellectual Disabilities
Dajana Bulić, Tomislav Ljutic, Renata Pinjatela
Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, 4(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.33700/jhrs.4.1.154
 

Psychology Research
Article: Relative Bias in Health Estimates from Probability-Based Online Panels: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Andrea Ivanovska, Michael Bosnjak, Vasja Vehovar
Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, 4(1), 10–23. https://doi.org/10.33700/jhrs.4.1.137


Article: Health Psychology Paradigm shift in the Hungarian Rehabilitation Psychology and Clinical Special Education
Dóra Szanati
Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, 4(1), 24–31. https://doi.org/10.33700/jhrs.4.1.133

 Health Research

Article: Effect of Unilateral Application of Timolol 0.5% on Systemic Cardiovascular Parameters and Intraocular Pressure and Perfusion
Galina Dimitrova, Ana Gjorgjiovska, Antonela Ljubic, Dushan Kemera, Olivera Lazarova, Dejan Shekerinov, Sofija Jordanovska Milanovska, Ivana Petkovska
Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, 4(1), 32–38. https://doi.org/10.33700/jhrs.4.1.127


Article: Clinical Application of the Bulgarian Version of the SCCAN: Pilot Data From Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease and Ischemic Stroke
Kostadin Chompalov, Penka Atanassova, Dobrinka Georgieva
Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, 4(1), 39–47. https://doi.org/10.33700/jhrs.4.1.149


Article: Residential care staff working knowledge of reporting restrictive practices within Intellectual Disability and Older Persons care settings: A scoping review.
Veronica Mukwashi, Brian Sharvin, Ruth Maher, Michelle Davitt, Louise Bennett
Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, 4(1), 48–61. https://doi.org/10.33700/jhrs.4.1.143

Article: Assessing Health-Related Quality of Life Outcomes Through Sensory Modulation Profiles in Adults with Atypical Sensory Processing: A Cross-Sectional Study
Patricija Goubar, Tomaž Velnar

Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, 4(1), 62–68. https://doi.org/10.33700/jhrs.4.1.153

 

Call for papers for Vol.4, Issue 2 is now open.
Suggested topics include:

• Rehabilitation Research,
• Health Research,
• Special Education Research,
• Neuropsychological Research,
• Autism Spectrum Disorders,
• Disability Research,
• Medical Aspects of Disability,
• Social Aspects of Disability,
• Master theses and PhD theses in the field,
• Book Reviews in the field.

Submit your manuscript here.

      

The latest Volume 4, Issue 1, 2025 has been published

 Dear colleagues and readers,

I would like to inform you that 1st issue of the 4th volume of Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences is published online yesterday (August 3rd, 2025). A total number of 7 papers are published. Next Issue 2, Vol. 4 of JHRS for the 2025 is expected to be published until December 31st, 2025.

 

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When citing articles from JHRS, we encourage you to use article’s DOI in addition to traditional citation information. This is an industry standard, a link-resolving system that allows any link to remain “persistent” even if the location of the article changes at some point in the future. Hence, when you are quoting the link for an article, you should always quote the DOI rather than the URL of our home page.

 

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We invite you to the content of the JHRS and we think that you will consider publishing with Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences.

 

Call for papers for Vol.4, Issue 2 is open until August 31st.

 

Suggested topics include:

 

• Rehabilitation Research,
• Health Research,
• Special Education Research,
• Psychological Research,
• Neuropsychological Research,
• Autism Spectrum Disorders,
• Disability Research,
• Medical Aspects of Disability,
• Social Aspects of Disability,
• Master theses and PhD theses in the field,
• Book Reviews in the field.

If you have any questions or you face problems with paper submission, please feel free to contact us ob this email.

Cheers,

JHRS Editor-in-chief

 

Celebrating 3 Years of the Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences – Thank You!

Dear authors, reviewers, readers, and esteemed members of the Editorial Board,

On behalf of the Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (JHRS), I am delighted to announce that today August 1st 2025, we are celebrating three successful years since the launch of our journal.

Over the past three years, JHRS has grown into a respected international platform for scientific exchange in the fields of health, rehabilitation, and related disciplines. We have published high-quality articles from authors around the globe, thanks to the dedication and expertise of our reviewers, the trust of our authors, the engagement of our readers, and the support of our Editorial Board.

As Editor-in-Chief, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you for your contributions. Your commitment has been instrumental in shaping the journal’s identity and advancing its mission of promoting interdisciplinary research and evidence-based practice.

I would like to sincerely thank the Rector of Alma Mater Europaea University, Prof. Dr. Ludvik Toplak, as well as the entire university staff, for their generous financial and IT support provided to the journal over the past three years.

I also extend my sincere gratitude to my two closest collaborators: Blagoja Janevski, IT administrator, and Andrea Ivanovska, MA, editorial assistant, for their dedication and continuous support.

We look forward to many more years of academic excellence, collaboration, and innovation. Thank you for being part of our journey!

Warm regards,
Prof. Dr. Vladimir Trajkovski
Editor-in-Chief
Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

🌐 https://jhrs.almamater.si/

Reviewer AI

Dear colleagues,

Reviewer AI has been created. This AI language model specialized in academic and scientific manuscript review, providing detailed, guideline-based assessments specifically for the Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. You can find it on the following LINK.

JHRS Editor-in-chief

JHRS has been indexed in Scopus

 Dear Authors, Reviewers, and Editorial Board Members,

It is with great pleasure that I inform you that the Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences has been officially indexed in Scopus as of today, June 10, 2025.

What is Scopus?

Scopus is a leading abstract and citation database managed by Elsevier, providing access to peer-reviewed research articles, conference papers, books, and patents across multiple disciplines, including life sciences, social sciences, physical sciences, and health sciences.

Key Features of Scopus:

• Extensive Coverage: Indexes over 100 million records, including 25.2 million open-access documents.
• Citation Tracking: Enables researchers to analyze citations, track academic impact, and identify influential studies.
• Author Profiles: Supports scholars in showcasing their work and connecting with collaborators.
• Journal Metrics: Uses indicators such as CiteScore, SJR (SCImago Journal Rank), and SNIP (Source Normalized Impact per Paper) to assess journal quality.
• Patent Search: Includes patents from major offices such as USPTO, EPO, JPO, WIPO, and UKIPO.

  Scopus is widely used for academic research, institutional benchmarking, and strategic decision-making in scholarly publishing.

  I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to our publisher, Alma Mater Europaea University in Maribor, Slovenia, for their tremendous support in this achievement. A special thanks also goes to our authors, reviewers, editorial board members, and proofreaders, all of whom have contributed immensely over the past two years and ten months. This milestone marks a significant step forward on our pathway to future successes.

  If you are working in health, medical, or rehabilitation sciences, we warmly invite you to submit your article via the following link: Submit Here.

  Thank you for your cooperation and support.

  Best regards,
  JHRS Editor-in-Chief

JHRS indexed in Ulrichsweb

Dear readers,

I want to inform you that Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences is already indexed in Ulrichsweb.

What is Ulrichsweb?

Ulrichsweb is an authoritative database that provides detailed information about serial publications, such as academic journals, magazines, and newspapers. It is widely used by librarians, researchers, and publishers to access bibliographic and publisher details for serials across various disciplines and languages. The database includes information about whether a journal is peer-reviewed, its publication frequency, and indexing details, among other features.

JHRS Editor-in-chief

Call for Papers: Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

Dear Colleagues,

The Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (JHRS) is pleased to announce an open call for papers for upcoming issues. We invite researchers, practitioners, and academics to submit their high-quality, original manuscripts that contribute to advancing knowledge, practice, and innovation in the fields of health, rehabilitation sciences, and related disciplines.

Our journal focuses on multidisciplinary research that addresses the complexities of health and rehabilitation from diverse perspectives, including but not limited to:

• Innovative approaches to rehabilitation and therapy

• Health promotion and prevention strategies

• Advances in assistive technologies

• Mental health and well-being

• Interdisciplinary perspectives on chronic illness and disability

• Public health policies and practices

Submission Guidelines: Manuscripts should be original, not previously published, and not under consideration elsewhere. All submissions will undergo a rigorous peer-review process to ensure academic excellence.

Please submit your papers through our online submission portal at this LINK. For detailed submission guidelines, visit this LINK.

Key Dates:

• Submission Deadline: 30.04.2025

• Expected Publication Date: 30.06.2025

We look forward to receiving your contributions and collaborating to advance the field of health and rehabilitation sciences. Should you have any questions or require further information, please feel free to contact us at editorjhrs@almamater.si.

Thank you for considering the Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences as the platform to share your research.

Best regards, 

Editor-in-Chief 

Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

Indexing not recognized by DOAJ

 

• Open Access Journals Impact Factor
• ResearchBib
• Asian Science Citation Index