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Concerns about decreasing response rates have led to many nonresponse studies. Unfortunately, usually only a limited amount of data is available on nonrespondents. Linking administrative data makes information available on all the sampled units including nonrespondents. Statistics Netherlands has constructed a database in which several administrative records and several surveys are connected. In this explorative study we use this dataset to look for homogenous groups of respondents and nonrespondents in survey research using latent class cluster analysis. Latent class techniques can provide insight into the problem of selective nonresponse and currently under-represented societal groups. We identify four different latent classes in a recent Dutch survey and replicate the findings for the same survey conducted 4 years later. Two of the types of sampled units have above-average response rates and the other two have below-average response rates. We also evaluate various latent class models with other response outcomes to gain insight into the contact and cooperation process., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Data of the Quality of Life Surveys 1990-1993 (n = 9969) were used to examine if and to what extent elderly workers differ from younger workers with regard to perceptions of the quality of work, especially the workload, and to the percentage absence due to sickness. Adjusted for occupational level, educational level and sex, persons aged 60-64 were characterised by either a substantially lower or a similarly perceived workload as compared to those aged 55-59. Subsequently, adjusted for the occupational level, educational level, sex and perceived workload, a substantial lower rate of absenteeism was found for persons aged 60-64. To a certain extent comparable results were found in the comparison of persons aged 55-59 with those aged 45-54. Based on the low grade of job participation of the elderly, it is proposed that these favourable figures support the notion of an age-related healthy-worker selection in the Netherlands.

On the occasion of the Dutch election for the Second Chamber of Parliament held on September 6, 1989 the Central Bureau of Statistics conducted a National Voters Survey (NKO). Voting behaviour and information about the backgrounds of this behaviour were collected among 1506 voters. A formerly developed explanatory model of party choice of the electorate also appears to apply to the 382 elderly voters (55 years and older) in the sample. The results show that party choice of elderly is mainly determined by the characteristics income, social class, religion, social values (social criticism) and opinions about politicians. The elderly differ from the younger voters (18-54 years old) on several points. For the elderly, the characteristics sex, education and social class play a more important role, whereas certain values (family values and postmaterialism) are more relevant for the 18-54 year-old group. In addition it turned out that as far as the explanation of party choice is concerned, the elderly are not a homogeneous group. Voters aged 75-plus in particular can be distinguished from the 55-64 and 65-74 year-old groups.

This study focuses on the involvement of elderly people (people of 55 years and older) in the Netherlands in voluntary work, voluntary aid, household labour and do-it-yourself activities. Advanced age and a bad health condition are expected to be important predictors for the reduction of participation. The data are collected by the Netherlands Bureau of Statistics in 1980, 1982, 1983 and 1986. The characteristics determining the participation of the elderly have been studied by using LISREL. Women were more involved in housekeeping, men in do-it-yourself activities. Elderly with a higher education level more often participated in voluntary work. Having more resources such as consumer durables accounted for the increase of do-it-yourself activities. The results give support to the informal economical theory. However, we didn't expect elderly with paid jobs to participate less in voluntary aid, household labour and do-it-yourself activities. In addition it turned out that the participation regarding voluntary work declined between 1980 and 1986, whereas for the whole population the amount of people doing voluntary work remained stable.