Revisiting Representativeness

Representativeness has been a topic of considerable discussion in epidemiology over the past decade, yet the concept of representativeness itself remains somewhat elusive. In this article, we revisit representativeness in the context of epidemiologic research by distinguishing between sample representativeness and estimate representativeness. Building on recent insights into selection bias, we explore the relationship between sample representativeness, estimate representativeness, and two types of selection bias. Specifically, we demonstrate through case studies how sample non-representativeness can lead to different types of selection bias, thereby resulting in estimate non-representativeness. Lastly, we describe scenarios where sample non-representativeness does not necessarily result in estimate non-representativeness.