DOI: 10.3886/icpsr39112
title: Detroit Metro Area Communities Study (DMACS) Wave 18, Michigan, 2023
title: Archival Version

description: The Detroit Metro Area Communities Study (DMACS) is a panel survey of Detroit residents aged 18 and older. The original panel of respondents was drawn from an address-based probability sample of all occupied Detroit households in 2016 and has since been refreshed through additional address-based sampling annually. The 18th survey wave, collected between November 2, 2023 and December 19, 2023, invited 3,065 previously-enrolled panelists to participate in a self-administered or interviewer-administered survey.
Topics included: transportation; health; long COVID-19 symptoms; mental health; grocery shopping routines; household finances; inequality; new technologies; drones; non-degree training program; employment.
description: The Detroit Metro Area Communities Study (DMACS) is a University of Michigan initiative designed to regularly survey a broad, representative group of Detroit residents about their communities, including their expectations, perceptions, priorities, and aspirations. Since 2016, University of Michigan's Detroit Metro Area Communities Study has used a city-wide survey to help bridge the gap between Detroit officials and residents whose voices may not always be heard in public discussions. Composed of over 2,500 Detroiters, the ongoing DMACS survey provides valuable insights on the perceptions and attitudes of people who live in Detroit.
description: Surveys were self-administered online or were interviewer-administered via telephone. All respondents who completed the survey received a post-paid incentive, mailed from the University of Michigan. The data collection period for this survey was November 3, 2023 to December 15, 2023.
The questionnaire was developed by the DMACS Principal Investigators in partnership with National Institutes of Health's Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL) Against COVID-19 Disparities. The instrument was programmed and tested by DMACS staff members on mobile and desktop devices to detect issues with question language and ensure the accuracy of skip-pattern logic, randomizations, and other programming issues. The questionnaire was programmed in Qualtrics by DMACS staff and translated into Spanish by CETRA Language Solutions. Respondents were able to select between taking the survey in English or Spanish on the first screen of the survey.
description: The DMACS Wave 18 data were weighted to reflect the demographics of the City of Detroit. This data includes a weighting variable, <strong>WEIGHTS</strong>, which should be used when conducting analysis. For more weighting information, please see the P.I. Panel and Methodology documents.
description: Response Rates: A total of 2,296 Detroit residents completed the survey, yielding an overall response rate of 76% (using AAPOR Response Rate 1).
description: Presence of Common Scales: CEAL Core Survey - NIH Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL) Against COVID-19 Disparities
description: Panelists were first recruited to the DMACS study in 2016 (Wave 1) from a simple random sample of Detroit household addresses. The panel was refreshed in 2018 (Wave 3) using a stratified two-stage cluster sample which oversampled census block groups that were at least 70% Hispanic (according to the 2016 5-year ACS estimates). In 2019 (Wave 6) the panel was refreshed using a stratified two-stage cluster sample which oversampled households from each of Detroit's 10 Strategic Neighborhood Fund (SNF) neighborhoods. In 2020 (Wave 12) the panel was refreshed using an oversample of households in Census block groups that were at least 70% Hispanic (according to the 2018 5-year ACS estimates) as well as an oversample of households that were located within Detroit's SNF neighborhoods. In 2022 and 2023 (Wave 15 and 17, respectively) the panel was refreshed using an oversample of households in Census block groups whose population was at least 50% Hispanic.
There are currently 3,065 active panelists in the DMACS panel. Panelists have the option to complete the survey online or over the phone in either English or Spanish. Panelists are able to unenroll from the panel at any time. If a panelist does not participate in at least one of the surveys from Wave 15, they may be retired from the panel. There were some incidents where we decided to drop the respondents from the panel, for example, when they were verbally abusive toward our staff or when they attempted to fill out multiple surveys under false identification (n=2). To encourage participation from groups with lower response propensity, male panelists with less than a college degree were offered a higher post-survey incentive of $40, compared to other panelists who were offered a post-survey incentive of $25.
description: Datasets: 
DS0: Study-Level Files
DS1: DMACS Wave 18 Data Public-Use
DS2: DMACS Wave 18 Data Restricted-Use
description: Adults over the age of 18 who reside in the City of Detroit. Smallest Geographic Unit: Census Block groups
description: telephone interview; web-based surveyFor more information on the Detroit Metro Area Communities Study, please visit the DMACS website.