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Spoor J, Vrancken Peeters MJTFD, Oldenburg HSA, Bleiker EMA, van Leeuwen FE. Strategies to increase survey participation: A randomized controlled study in a population of breast cancer survivors. Ann Epidemiol 2024; 94:1-8. [PMID: 38609024 DOI: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2024.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Data collection by mailing questionnaires to the study population is one of the main research methods in epidemiologic studies. As participation rates are decreasing, easy-to-implement and cost-effective strategies to increase survey participation are needed. In this study, we tested the effect of a pragmatic combination of evidence-based interventions. METHODS We conducted a two-armed randomized controlled trial, nested in a cohort of breast cancer survivors (n = 1000) in the setting of a health outcomes survey. The intervention arm received a postal pre-notification, a non-monetary incentive (ballpoint with the study logo) and an alternative invitation letter in which several lay-out and textual adjustments were implemented according to behavioural science techniques. The alternative invitation letter also contained a QR-code through which an information video about the study could be accessed. The control arm was invited according to standard practice. Participants had the option to fill-out a questionnaire either on paper or online. A questionnaire with more than 50% of the questions answered classified as participation. RESULTS Overall participation rate was 62.9%. No significant difference in participation rate was observed between intervention and control arm (64.5% vs 61.3%, Risk Ratio (RR) 1.05, 95% CI [0.96 - 1.16]). Older age at study (>65 vs <51 years), and high socio-economic status (highest vs lowest quartile) were associated with higher participation rates (RR 1.30, 95% CI [1.07 - 1.57] and 1.24, 95% CI [1.09 - 1.42] respectively). In-situ carcinoma compared to invasive cancer and longer interval since treatment were associated with lower participation (RR 0.86, 95% CI [0.74 - 0.99] and RR 0.92, 95% CI [0.87 - 0.99] per 5 year increase, respectively). CONCLUSION Overall, the combination of four interventions tested in this study did not improve survey participation among breast cancer survivors. The overall participation rate was relatively high, possibly due to the study population of cancer survivors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Spoor
- Department of Epidemiology, Netherlands Cancer Institute Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marie-Jeanne T F D Vrancken Peeters
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Surgery, Amsterdam University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Hester S A Oldenburg
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Eveline M A Bleiker
- Division of Psychosocial Research and Epidemiology, Netherlands Cancer Institute Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Clinical Genetics, Netherlands Cancer Institute Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Flora E van Leeuwen
- Department of Epidemiology, Netherlands Cancer Institute Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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2
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David MC, Pitman MA. Implementation of a Mentoring Program for Mentee-Mentor Satisfaction: A Longitudinal Pilot Study. MEDICAL SCIENCE EDUCATOR 2024; 34:405-412. [PMID: 38686142 PMCID: PMC11055812 DOI: 10.1007/s40670-024-01994-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Introduction Mentoring is a unique educational workplace relationship that can support both the mentee and mentor's skill, knowledge, social, and emotional needs. The primary aim of this longitudinal pilot study was to implement a formal mentoring program to assess its effect on mentee and mentor satisfaction. Methods Data was collected from two hospitals in New South Wales, Australia in late 2018 and early 2019. Junior doctors (mentees) and senior medical staff (mentors) were asked to complete pre-, mid-, and oost-program surveys, with questions relevant to mentee-mentor satisfaction, interactions, and participation. Mixed-effects ordinal logistic regression models were used to assess the program effect on mentee-mentor satisfaction, while Fishers' exact test was used to evaluate mentee-mentor interactions and participation. Results Although there was evidence of upwards trends in the proportion of mentees and mentors who reported their satisfaction in the program as excellent and rated their work satisfaction as being very influenced by the program, both trends were statistically non-significant. While our study was likely underpowered, high participation rates provide promising evidence of the program's acceptability and feasibility. Conclusion Though not reaching statistical significance, study results suggest that the implementation of a mentoring program has the potential to increase satisfaction levels among its participants, be they mentees or mentors. It is recommended that future studies recruit larger samples thereby having sufficient statistical power. Furthermore, causality should be explored in more detail through a multi-site randomized controlled trial design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C. David
- School of Medicine and Dentistry, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD Australia
- The Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney, a Joint Venture With Cancer Council, Sydney, NSW 2011 Australia
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3
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Murray AL, Xie T. Engaging Adolescents in Contemporary Longitudinal Health Research: Strategies for Promoting Participation and Retention. J Adolesc Health 2024; 74:9-17. [PMID: 37690009 DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2023.06.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE High (and nonselective) recruitment and retention rates in longitudinal studies of adolescence are essential for illuminating health trajectories and determinants during this critical period. Knowledge of optimal recruitment and retention strategies must keep pace with emerging challenges and opportunities, such as the shifts towards digitally-based data collection. METHODS We used a narrative review approach to synthesize research on promising recruitment and retention strategies for optimizing engagement in the next generation of longitudinal adolescent health studies. RESULTS We identified a small number of well-evidenced strategies, emerging challenges and opportunities for recruitment and retention in contemporary studies, and key evidence gaps. Core recommendations include the use of well-evidenced strategies (e.g., incentivizing participation, reducing barriers and burden, and investing in building positive relationships with participants) and coproducing recruitment and retention strategies with adolescents and parents of adolescents. DISCUSSION More research is needed into successful recruitment/retention strategies for digital/remote data collection methods, but initial evidence suggests that adopting principles and adapting well-evidenced strategies from traditional longitudinal studies is promising.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tong Xie
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, China
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4
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Falk D, Tooze JA, Winkfield KM, Bell RA, Morris B, Strom C, Copus E, Shore K, Weaver KE. A comparison of survey incentive methods to recruit rural cancer survivors into cancer care delivery research studies. Cancer Causes Control 2022; 33:1381-1386. [PMID: 35986825 PMCID: PMC10112050 DOI: 10.1007/s10552-022-01621-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Unconditional (upfront) incentives are proposed to improve acceptance of cancer research among underrepresented, racial/ethnic minority populations, but few studies have tested incentive strategies among rural cancer survivors. Descriptive statistics summarized demographic characteristics of survey respondents, and response rates by arm were compared using Chi-square tests. We compared upfront ($2) and response-based ($10 conditional) incentives in a mailed survey of adult post-treatment rural survivors. Individuals meeting eligibility criteria from the electronic medical record (n = 2,830) were randomized into two incentive arms (n = 1,414 for the upfront arm and n = 1,416 for the contingent arm). Of the total delivered, presumed eligible participants (n = 1,304 upfront arm; n = 1,317 contingent arm), 67.8% were aged 65y+, 49.8% were female, and 95.1% were non-Hispanic white. The response rate for all participants was 18.5%. We received eligible surveys from 281 rural survivors in the first arm (response rate: 21.5%); and 205 surveys in the second arm (response rate: 15.6%). Participants who received the upfront incentive had a higher response rate than those receiving a response-based incentive, X2 (1, 2,621) = 15.53, p < 0.0001. Incentivizing survey completion with an upfront $2 bill encouraged a higher survey response rate; other supplemental strategies are needed to achieve a higher response rate for this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek Falk
- Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA.
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 10900 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
| | - Janet A Tooze
- Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA
- Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA
| | - Karen M Winkfield
- Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance, 1005 Dr. DB Todd Jr. Blvd, Nashville, TN, 37208, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Preston Research Building, Rm B-1003, 2220 Pierce Ave, Nashville, TN, 37232-5671, USA
| | - Ronny A Bell
- Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA
- Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA
| | - Bonny Morris
- Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA
| | - Carla Strom
- Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA
| | - Emily Copus
- Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA
| | - Kelsey Shore
- Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA
| | - Kathryn E Weaver
- Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA
- Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA
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Ashford MT, Camacho MR, Jin C, Eichenbaum J, Ulbricht A, Alaniz R, Van De Mortel L, Sorce J, Aaronson A, Parmar S, Flenniken D, Fockler J, Truran D, Mackin RS, Rivera Mindt M, Morlett-Paredes A, González HM, Mayeda ER, Weiner MW, Nosheny RL. Digital culturally tailored marketing for enrolling Latino participants in a web-based registry: Baseline metrics from the Brain Health Registry. Alzheimers Dement 2022; 19:1714-1728. [PMID: 36193827 PMCID: PMC10070578 DOI: 10.1002/alz.12805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION This culturally tailored enrollment effort aims to determine the feasibility of enrolling 5000 older Latino adults from California into the Brain Health Registries (BHR) over 2.25 years. METHODS This paper describes (1) the development and deployment of culturally tailored BHR websites and digital ads, in collaboration with a Latino community science partnership board and a marketing company; (2) an interim feasibility analysis of the enrollment efforts and numbers, and participant characteristics (primary aim); as well as (3) an exploration of module completion and a preliminary efficacy evaluation of the culturally tailored digital efforts compared to BHR's standard non-culturally tailored efforts (secondary aim). RESULTS In 12.5 months, 3603 older Latino adults were enrolled (71% of the total California Latino BHR initiative enrollment goal). Completion of all BHR modules was low (6%). DISCUSSION Targeted ad placement, culturally tailored enrollment messaging, and culturally tailored BHR websites increased enrollment of Latino participants in BHR, but did not translate to increased module completion. HIGHLIGHTS Culturally tailored social marketing and website improvements were implemented. The efforts enrolled 5662 Latino individuals in 12.5 months. The number of Latino Brain Health Registry (BHR) participants increased by 122.7%. We failed to adequately enroll female Latinos and Latinos with lower education. Future work will evaluate effects of a newly released Spanish-language BHR website.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam T Ashford
- VA, Advanced Imaging Research Center, San Francisco Veteran's Administration Medical Center, San Francisco, California, USA.,Northern California Institute for Research and Education (NCIRE), Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Monica R Camacho
- VA, Advanced Imaging Research Center, San Francisco Veteran's Administration Medical Center, San Francisco, California, USA.,Northern California Institute for Research and Education (NCIRE), Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Chengshi Jin
- University of California San Francisco, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Joseph Eichenbaum
- VA, Advanced Imaging Research Center, San Francisco Veteran's Administration Medical Center, San Francisco, California, USA.,University of California, San Francisco Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Aaron Ulbricht
- VA, Advanced Imaging Research Center, San Francisco Veteran's Administration Medical Center, San Francisco, California, USA.,University of California, San Francisco Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, San Francisco, California, USA
| | | | | | | | - Anna Aaronson
- VA, Advanced Imaging Research Center, San Francisco Veteran's Administration Medical Center, San Francisco, California, USA.,Northern California Institute for Research and Education (NCIRE), Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Shivam Parmar
- VA, Advanced Imaging Research Center, San Francisco Veteran's Administration Medical Center, San Francisco, California, USA.,University of California, San Francisco Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Derek Flenniken
- VA, Advanced Imaging Research Center, San Francisco Veteran's Administration Medical Center, San Francisco, California, USA.,Northern California Institute for Research and Education (NCIRE), Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Juliet Fockler
- VA, Advanced Imaging Research Center, San Francisco Veteran's Administration Medical Center, San Francisco, California, USA.,University of California, San Francisco Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Diana Truran
- VA, Advanced Imaging Research Center, San Francisco Veteran's Administration Medical Center, San Francisco, California, USA.,Northern California Institute for Research and Education (NCIRE), Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - R Scott Mackin
- VA, Advanced Imaging Research Center, San Francisco Veteran's Administration Medical Center, San Francisco, California, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Monica Rivera Mindt
- Psychology & Latin American Latino Studies Institute, Fordham University, Joint Appointment in Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Alejandra Morlett-Paredes
- University of California, San Diego, Department of Neurosciences and Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer's Disease Research Center in the School of Medicine, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Hector M González
- University of California, San Diego, Department of Neurosciences and Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer's Disease Research Center in the School of Medicine, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Elizabeth Rose Mayeda
- University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Epidemiology, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Michael W Weiner
- VA, Advanced Imaging Research Center, San Francisco Veteran's Administration Medical Center, San Francisco, California, USA.,Northern California Institute for Research and Education (NCIRE), Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, California, USA.,University of California, San Francisco Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, San Francisco, California, USA.,Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Rachel L Nosheny
- VA, Advanced Imaging Research Center, San Francisco Veteran's Administration Medical Center, San Francisco, California, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
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Kumar AD, Durham DD, Lane L, Perera P, Rivera MP, Henderson LM. Randomized control trial of unconditional versus conditional incentives to increase study enrollment rates in participants at increased risk of lung cancer. J Clin Epidemiol 2022; 141:11-17. [PMID: 34469801 PMCID: PMC8903037 DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2021.08.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Understanding how incentives and their timing influence study enrollment rates is important to efficient study design and increasing the generalizability of findings. This 2-arm, parallel randomized trial evaluated how conditional vs. unconditional mailed incentives of a $20 gift card affected study enrollment in a sample of participants screened for lung cancer screening. METHODS Eligible participants included Black and White adults who underwent lung cancer screening with low-dose CT and had negative screening results at two North Carolina imaging facilities in 2018. We used a stratified randomization scheme, by sex and race, to assign incentive type (conditional vs. unconditional). We used the Tailored Design Method with six points of mailed contact to engage participants. We compared study enrollment rates using chi-square tests and logistic regression analyses. RESULTS After adjusting for sex, race, age, smoking status, participant residence, and screening site, participants who received unconditional incentives were 74% more likely to enroll than those who received conditional incentives (adjusted OR = 1.74 (95% CI: 1.01, 3.00). CONCLUSIONS Type of incentive can play a role in increasing study enrollment, especially mailed surveys that target individuals who currently or previously smoked. Unconditional incentives may be worth the initial cost to engage study participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anjali D. Kumar
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill,Corresponding author.
| | | | - Lindsay Lane
- Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
| | - Pasangi Perera
- Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
| | - M. Patricia Rivera
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
| | - Louise M. Henderson
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill,Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
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McBride E, Mase H, Kerrison RS, Marlow LAV, Waller J. Improving postal survey response using behavioural science: a nested randomised control trial. BMC Med Res Methodol 2021; 21:280. [PMID: 34922447 PMCID: PMC8684081 DOI: 10.1186/s12874-021-01476-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Systematic reviews have identified effective strategies for increasing postal response rates to questionnaires; however, most studies have isolated single techniques, testing the effect of each one individually. Despite providing insight into explanatory mechanisms, this approach lacks ecological validity, given that multiple techniques are often combined in routine practice. Methods We used a two-armed parallel randomised controlled trial (n = 2702), nested within a cross-sectional health survey study, to evaluate whether using a pragmatic combination of behavioural science and evidenced-based techniques (e.g., personalisation, social norms messaging) in a study invitation letter increased response to the survey, when compared with a standard invitation letter. Participants and outcome assessors were blinded to group assignment. We tested this in a sample of women testing positive for human papillomavirus (HPV) at cervical cancer screening in England. Results Overall, 646 participants responded to the survey (response rate [RR] = 23.9%). Logistic regression revealed higher odds of response in the intervention arm (n = 357/1353, RR = 26.4%) compared with the control arm (n = 289/1349, RR = 21.4%), while adjusting for age, deprivation, clinical site, and clinical test result (aOR = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.09–1.55). Conclusion Applying easy-to-implement behavioural science and evidence-based methods to routine invitation letters improved postal response to a health-related survey, whilst adjusting for demographic characteristics. Our findings provide support for the pragmatic adoption of combined techniques in routine research to increase response to postal surveys. Trial registration ISRCTN, ISRCTN15113095. Registered 7 May 2019 – retrospectively registered. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12874-021-01476-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily McBride
- Department of Behavioural Science and Health, Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, University College London (UCL), London, UK.
| | - Hiromi Mase
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, University College London (UCL), London, UK
| | - Robert S Kerrison
- Department of Behavioural Science and Health, Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, University College London (UCL), London, UK.,School of Health Sciences, University of Surrey, Surrey, UK
| | - Laura A V Marlow
- Cancer Prevention Group, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London (KCL), London, UK
| | - Jo Waller
- Cancer Prevention Group, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London (KCL), London, UK
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Woolf B, Edwards P. Does advance contact with research participants increase response to questionnaires: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Med Res Methodol 2021; 21:265. [PMID: 34837965 PMCID: PMC8627623 DOI: 10.1186/s12874-021-01435-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Questionnaires remain one of the most common forms of data collection in epidemiology, psychology and other human-sciences. However, results can be badly affected by non-response. One way to potentially reduce non-response is by sending potential study participants advance communication. The last systematic review to examine the effect of questionnaire pre-notification on response is 10 years old, and lacked a risk of bias assessment. Objectives Update the section of the Cochrane systematic review, Edwards et al. (2009), on pre-notification to include 1) recently published studies, 2) an assessment of risk of bias, 3) Explore if heterogeneity is reduced by: delay between pre-contact and questionnaire delivery, the method of pre-contact, if pre-contact and questionnaire delivery differ, if the pre-contact includes a foot-in-the-door manipulation, and study’s the risk of bias. Methods Inclusion criteria: population: any population, intervention: comparison of some type of pre-notification, comparison group: no pre-notification, outcome: response rates. Study design: randomised controlled trails. Exclusion criteria: NA. Data sources: Studies which cited or were included in Edwards et al. (2009); We additionally searched: CINAHL, Web of Science, PsycInfo, MEDLINE, EconLit, EMBASE, Cochrane Central, Cochrane CMR, ERIC, and Sociological Abstracts. The searches were implemented in June 2018 and May 2021. Study screening: a single reviewer screened studies, with a random 10% sample independently screened to ascertain accuracy. Data extraction: data was extracted by a single reviewer twice, with a week between each extraction. Risk of Bias: within studies bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool (ROB1) by a single unblinded reviewer, across studies bias was assessed using funnel plots. Synthesis Method: study results were meta-analysed with a random effects model using the final response rate as the outcome. Evaluation of Uncertainty: Uncertainty was evaluated using the GRADE approach. Results One hundred seven trials were included with 211,802 participants. Over-all pre-notification increased response, OR = 1.33 (95% CI: 1.20–1.47). However, there was a large amount of heterogeneity (I2 = 97.1%), which was not explained by the subgroup analyses. In addition, when studies at high or unclear risk of bias were excluded the effect was to reduced OR = 1.09 (95% CI: 0.99–1.20). Because of the large amount of heterogeneity, even after restricting to low risk of bias studies, there is still moderate uncertainty in these results. Conclusions Using the GRADE evaluation, this review finds moderate evidence that pre-notification may not have an effect on response rates. Funding Economic and Social Research Council. Preregistration None. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12874-021-01435-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Woolf
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, 5 Priory Road, Bristol, UK. .,Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK. .,Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
| | - Phil Edwards
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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Krzyzanowski MC, Kizakevich PN, Duren-Winfield V, Eckhoff R, Hampton J, Blackman Carr LT, McCauley G, Roberson KB, Onsomu EO, Williams J, Price AA. Rams Have Heart, a Mobile App Tracking Activity and Fruit and Vegetable Consumption to Support the Cardiovascular Health of College Students: Development and Usability Study. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 2020; 8:e15156. [PMID: 32755883 PMCID: PMC7439144 DOI: 10.2196/15156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Revised: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND With the increasing use of mobile devices to access the internet and as the main computing system of apps, there is a growing market for mobile health apps to provide self-care advice. Their effectiveness with regard to diet and fitness tracking, for example, needs to be examined. The majority of American adults fail to meet daily recommendations for healthy behavior. Testing user engagement with an app in a controlled environment can provide insight into what is effective and not effective in an app focused on improving diet and exercise. OBJECTIVE We developed Rams Have Heart, a mobile app, to support a cardiovascular disease (CVD) intervention course. The app tracks healthy behaviors, including fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity, throughout the day. This paper aimed to present its functionality and evaluated adherence among the African American college student population. METHODS We developed the app using the Personal Health Informatics and Intervention Toolkit, a software framework. Rams Have Heart integrates self-reported health screening with health education, diary tracking, and user feedback modules to acquire data and assess progress. The parent study, conducted at a historically black college and university-designated institution in southeastern United States, consisted of a semester-long intervention administered as an academic course in the fall, for 3 consecutive years. Changes were made after the cohort 1 pilot study, so results only include cohorts 2 and 3, comprising a total of 115 students (n=55 intervention participants and n=54 control participants) aged from 17 to 24 years. Data collected over the study period were transferred using the secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure protocol and stored in a secure Structured Query Language server database accessible only to authorized persons. SAS software was used to analyze the overall app usage and the specific results collected. RESULTS Of the 55 students in the intervention group, 27 (49%) students in cohort 2 and 25 (45%) in cohort 3 used the Rams Have Heart app at least once. Over the course of the fall semester, app participation dropped off gradually until exam week when most students no longer participated. The average fruit and vegetable intake increased slightly, and activity levels decreased over the study period. CONCLUSIONS Rams Have Heart was developed to allow daily tracking of fruit and vegetable intake and physical activity to support a CVD risk intervention for a student demographic susceptible to obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. We conducted an analysis of app usage, function, and user results. Although a mobile app provides privacy and flexibility for user participation in a research study, Rams Have Heart did not improve compliance or user outcomes. Health-oriented research studies relying on apps in support of user goals need further evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Randall Eckhoff
- RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | - Joel Hampton
- RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | - Loneke T Blackman Carr
- Winston-Salem State University, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
- University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
| | - Georgia McCauley
- Winston-Salem State University, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | | | - Elijah O Onsomu
- Winston-Salem State University, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - John Williams
- Winston-Salem State University, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
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10
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Pejtersen JH. The effect of monetary incentive on survey response for vulnerable children and youths: A randomized controlled trial. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0233025. [PMID: 32396564 PMCID: PMC7217457 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0233025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM In surveys non-responders may introduce bias and lower the validity of the studies. Ways to increase response rates are therefore important. The purpose of the study was to investigate if an unconditional monetary incentive can increase the response rate for vulnerable children and youths in a postal questionnaire survey. METHODS The study was designed as a randomized controlled trial. The study population consisted of 262 children and youth who participated in an established intervention study aimed at creating networks for different groups of vulnerable children and youths. The mean age of the participants was 16.7 years (range 11-28) and 67.9% were female. The questionnaire was adapted to three different age groups and covered different aspects of the participants' life situation, including the dimensions from the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). In the follow-up survey, participants were randomly allocated to two groups that either received a €15 voucher for a supermarket together with the questionnaire or only received the questionnaire. We used Poisson regression to estimate the differences in response rate (Rate Ratio RR) between the intervention group and the control group. RESULTS The response rate was 75.5% in the intervention group and 42.9% in the control group. The response rate in the intervention group was significantly higher than in the control group when adjusting for age and gender (Rate Ratio, RR 1.73; 95% CI 1.38-2.17). We did not find any significant differences in scales scores between the two groups for the five scales of the SDQ. In stratified analyses, we found the effect of the incentive to be higher for males (RR 2.81; 95% CI 1.61-4.91) than for females (1.43; 95% CI 1.12-1.84). CONCLUSIONS Monetary incentives can increase the response rate for vulnerable children and youths in surveys. TRIAL REGISTRATION The trial was retrospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01741675.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Hyld Pejtersen
- VIVE–The Danish Center for Social Science Research, Copenhagen, Denmark
- * E-mail:
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Godinho A, Schell C, Cunningham JA. How one small text change in a study document can impact recruitment rates and follow-up completions. Internet Interv 2019; 18:100284. [PMID: 31890631 PMCID: PMC6926325 DOI: 10.1016/j.invent.2019.100284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Revised: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The validity and reliability of longitudinal research is highly dependent on the recruitment and retention of representative samples. Various strategies have been developed and tested for improving recruitment and follow-up rates into health-behavioural research, but few have examined the role of linguistic choices and study document readability on participation rates. This study examined the impact of one small text change, assigning an inappropriate or grade-8 reading level password for intervention access, on participation rates and attrition in an online alcohol intervention trial. METHODS Participants were recruited into an online alcohol intervention study using Amazon's Mechanical Turk via a multi-step recruitment process which required participants to log into a study portal using a pre-assigned password. Passwords were qualitatively coded as grade-8 and/or inappropriate for use within a professional setting. Separate logistic regressions examined which demographic, clinical characteristics, and password categorizations were most strongly associated with recruitment rates and follow-up completions. RESULTS Inappropriate passwords were a barrier for recruitment among participants with post-secondary education as compared to those with less education (p = 0.044), while grade-8 passwords appeared to significantly facilitate the completion of 6-month follow-ups (p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS Altogether, these findings suggest that some linguistic choices may play an important role in recruitment, while others, such as readability, may have longer-term effects on follow-up rates and attrition. Possible explanations for the findings, as well as, sample selection biases during recruitment and follow-up are discussed. Limitations of the study are stated and recommendations for researchers are provided. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02977026. Registered 27 Nov 2016.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Godinho
- Institute of Mental Health and Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada
| | - Christina Schell
- Institute of Mental Health and Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada
| | - John A. Cunningham
- Institute of Mental Health and Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada,Australian National University, Canberra, Australia,Corresponding author at: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 33 Russell St., Toronto, Ontario M5S 2S1, Canada.
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Schell C, Godinho A, Kushnir V, Cunningham JA. To send or not to send: weighing the costs and benefits of mailing an advance letter to participants before a telephone survey. BMC Res Notes 2018; 11:813. [PMID: 30442187 PMCID: PMC6238335 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-018-3920-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective A letter was mailed to half the participants (Letter = 137; No Letter = 138) of a 5-year follow-up survey regarding smoking cessation before attempting contact for a telephone interview. The primary outcome was the number of completed surveys per group (response rate). Secondary analyses of the number of telephone calls placed and a cost analysis were performed. Results No conclusive effect was found on the response rates per group (59.1% Letter, 50.0% No Letter; p = 0.147). Additionally, a logistic regression, controlling for demographics, revealed that there was no direct effect of sending the letter on response rate (p = 0.369). Non-parametric analysis showed significantly fewer calls (U = 7962.5, z = − 2.274, p < 0.05 two-tailed) and significantly lower costs (U = 11112.00, z = 2.521, p < 0.05 two-tailed) in reaching participants in the Letter group. Mailing an advance letter to participants did not appear to effect response rates between the groups, even when controlling for demographics. However, further analysis examining the number of call attempts and the costs per group revealed the letter may have had other effects. These findings suggest that additional analyses may be merited when evaluating the effectiveness of methods to increase participation, such as an advance letter, especially in cases where the literature largely supports its effectual use. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03097445. Registered 31 March 2017 Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13104-018-3920-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Schell
- Institute of Mental Health and Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 33 Russell St., Toronto, ON, M5S 2S1, Canada
| | - Alexandra Godinho
- Institute of Mental Health and Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 33 Russell St., Toronto, ON, M5S 2S1, Canada
| | | | - John A Cunningham
- Institute of Mental Health and Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 33 Russell St., Toronto, ON, M5S 2S1, Canada. .,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. .,Austalian National University, Canberra, Australia.
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