Objective
To compare the efficiency of a key-person method with the census method on the prevalence of physically disabled.

Method
The residents of K-myeon, A-kyun, Kyungido were surveyed in May 1996 with a census method and of D-myeon in August 1997 with a key-person method. The enlisted people in this survey included 2563 persons in D-myeon and 2138 persons in K-myeon on Identification Number.

Results
The prevalences of the physically disabled were 2.61% of the population in D-myeon and 5.00% in K-myeon (chi-square test: P＜0.500). When the physically disabled were divided into two groups (the severely disabled, group A and the mildly disabled, group B), the prevalences of group A was 1.91% in D-myeon and 2.15% in K-myeon (chi-square test: P＞0.500). This result suggests that there is no meaningful difference in the prevalence of severely disabled between the two survey methods.

Conclusion
The key-person method is as effective as the census method to survey the prevalence of severely disabled in rural communities and requires a less cost and man power.