What are the Implications of Nonresponse Bias in Epidemiology?

Nonresponse bias can have several implications:
- Misestimation of Disease Prevalence: If nonrespondents have a higher or lower prevalence of a disease compared to respondents, the estimated prevalence will be inaccurate.
- Skewed Risk Factor Analysis: Nonresponse bias can also affect the identification of risk factors if certain groups are underrepresented or overrepresented.
- Policy and Intervention Effectiveness: Public health policies and interventions based on biased data may be less effective or even counterproductive.