Implications of Attrition in a Longitudinal Web-Based Survey: An Examination of College Students Participating in a Tobacco Use Study

Effect of webinars in teaching-learning process in medical and allied health science students during COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

COVID-19 pandemic lockdown has brought all sectors to be dwindled with no exception of the academic system. Even professional courses like medical and allied health academic courses were also not spared. The academic requirements were not met as required to do so. Webinar has become a good source of virtual platform acting as a bridge for attaining the gaps in accomplishing the curriculum to the students during these curfew times. Our study aimed to know the value of webinars on teaching-learning processes among the medical and allied health science students in India.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study design is a cross-sectional study with 2084 students who attended at least one webinar. An online survey questionnaire was sent, and the data were collected on participant's perspective on the effectiveness of webinar, post webinar assessment by their satisfactory level of gain of information through webinars and their plan to apply in future.

RESULTS

Participant's perspective on effectiveness of webinar showed 66.7% of agreement with the webinar use. In post webinar assessment, the use of webinar was in agreement with 69.9% of the participants. Furthermore, we observed a significant association with the gain of information in post webinar assessment (P < 0.05) and a significant association with their plan to apply in future (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Our results showed that the students were satisfied with the webinar teaching and acknowledged it to be an effective tool in the teaching-learning process to gain new knowledge and wish to attend webinars in future as a part of their curriculum. Thus, webinars have a constructive effect in the teaching and learning process in professional courses during pandemic lockdown.

Marijuana Use and Increases in Use over Time among Young Adult College Students in the State of Georgia: Analyses of Sociocontexual Predictors

BACKGROUND

While research has assessed correlates of marijuana use, there has been less focus on predictors of differing levels of changes in use during young adulthood, a critical period for use/escalation.

OBJECTIVES

We examined changes in marijuana use and related sociocontextual predictors (e.g., earlier-onset substance use, parental use, college type).

METHODS

Using data from Georgia college students (ages 18-25 years) in a 2-year, 6-wave longitudinal study (64.6% female, 63.4% White), 2-part random-effects modeling examined use at any assessment and number of days used.

RESULTS

Predictors of use status at any assessment included being male (OR = 1.87, 95%CI = [1.28-2.73]), Black (OR = 1.91, 95%CI = [1.15-3.19]), earlier-onset marijuana (OR = 2.63, 95%CI = [1.70-4.06]), cigarette (OR = 2.04, 95%CI = [1.19-3.48]), and alcohol users (OR = 1.49, 95%CI = 1.00-2.22]), parental tobacco (OR = 2.14, 95%CI = [1.18-3.86]) and/or alcohol use (OR = 1.55, 95%CI = [1.09-2.20]), and attending private (vs. public) institutions (OR = 1.68, 95%CI = [1.10-2.59]). Predictors of lower likelihood of use over time included being male (OR = 0.87, 95%CI = [0.77-0.98]), earlier-onset cigarette use (OR = 0.82, 95%CI = [0.68-0.98]), parental alcohol use (OR = 0.86, 95%CI = [0.77-0.97]), and private institution students (OR = 1.17, 95%CI = [1.02-1.34]). Predictors of more days used at baseline included being male (OR = 1.77, 95%CI = [1.40-2.23]), Black (OR = 1.42, 95%CI = [1.04-1.93]), earlier-onset marijuana (OR = 2.32, 95%CI = [1.78-3.01]) and alcohol users (OR = 1.29, 95%CI = [1.01-1.66]), and parental tobacco use (OR = 1.90, 95%CI = [1.32-2.73]). Predictors of fewer days used over time included being older (OR = 0.98, 95%CI = [0.97-1.00]), parental tobacco use (OR = 0.86, 95%CI = [0.78-0.95]), and attending private institutions (OR = 0.89, 95%CI = [0.83-0.93]).

CONCLUSIONS

Intervention efforts can be informed by current findings that correlates of baseline use (e.g., being male, attending private institutions) also predicted less use over time, and one's earlier use and parents' use of various substances impacted young adult use.

Subjective experiences at e-cigarette initiation: Implications for e-cigarette and dual/poly tobacco use among youth

BACKGROUND

Subjective experiences (SEs) at initiation of cigarettes, cigars, and smokeless tobacco have been established as predictors of continued use. To date, less is known about the relationships between SEs at e-cigarette initiation and subsequent e-cigarette use behaviors.

METHODS

This study used data from Waves 1-6 of the Texas Adolescent Tobacco and Marketing Surveillance (TATAMS) system; a population-based rapid response study of adolescents in major metropolitan areas of Texas. Participants were adolescents who self-reported ever using e-cigarettes across all 6 waves (n = 1,104; N = 460,069). Factor analyses examined structure of SEs at e-cigarette initiation. Weighted, multilevel, multivariate regression models examined role of SEs at e-cigarette initiation on subsequent past 30-day e-cigarette use behaviors.

RESULTS

Factor analyses identified a positive (i.e., euphoria, relaxation) and a negative (i.e., dizziness, cough, nausea) domain of SEs. Positive SEs at e-cigarette initiation predicted 1.20 (95% CI: 1.02-1.42) greater odds of subsequent past 30-day e-cigarette use. Similarly, positive SEs at e-cigarette initiation predicted greater relative risk of dual/poly e-cigarette use, relative to non-use (RRR: 1.61; 95% CI: 1.24-2.10) and exclusive e-cigarette use (RRR: 1.68; 95% CI: 1.26-2.24).

CONCLUSION

This is the first study to observe longitudinal relationships between SEs at e-cigarette initiation and subsequent e-cigarette use behaviors. Findings highlight the importance of preventing initial e-cigarette use among adolescents.

Incentive delivery timing and follow-up survey completion in a prospective cohort study of injured children: a randomized experiment comparing prepaid and postpaid incentives

Background

Retaining participants over time is a frequent challenge in research studies evaluating long-term health outcomes. This study’s objective was to compare the impact of prepaid and postpaid incentives on response to a six-month follow-up survey.

Methods

We conducted an experiment to compare response between participants randomized to receive either prepaid or postpaid cash card incentives within a multisite study of children under 15 years in age who were hospitalized for a serious, severe, or critical injury. Participants were parents or guardians of enrolled children. The primary outcome was survey response. We also examined whether demographic characteristics were associated with response and if incentive timing influenced the relationship between demographic characteristics and response. We evaluated whether incentive timing was associated with the number of calls needed for contact.

Results

The study enrolled 427 children, and parents of 420 children were included in this analysis. Follow-up survey response did not differ according to the assigned treatment arm, with the percentage of parents responding to the survey being 68.1% for the prepaid incentive and 66.7% with the postpaid incentive. Likelihood of response varied by demographics. Spanish-speaking parents and parents with lower income and lower educational attainment were less likely to respond. Parents of Hispanic/Latino children and children with Medicaid insurance were also less likely to respond. We found no relationship between the assigned incentive treatment and the demographics of respondents compared to non-respondents.

Conclusions

Prepaid and postpaid incentives can obtain similar participation in longitudinal pediatric critical care outcomes research. Incentives alone do not ensure retention of all demographic subgroups. Strategies for improving representation of hard-to-reach populations are needed to address health disparities and ensure the generalizability of studies using these results.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12874-021-01421-8.

Increasing awareness and uptake of the MenB vaccine on a large university campus

Objective: At a large public university, we aimed to evaluate an intervention designed to increase serogroup B meningococcal (MenB) vaccine uptake and awareness.Methods: Using a pretest-posttest design with a double posttest, we evaluated an intervention conducted by a local foundation and the Florida Department of Health that distributed MenB vaccine on campus and conducted an educational campaign. Prior to intervention activities, we recruited students to complete a survey about their MenB knowledge and attitudes. For survey participants who provided contact information, we sent two follow-up surveys and assessed MenB vaccine records. We used chi-square tests, adjusted for nonindependence, to compare preintervention to postintervention (three-month and one-year) vaccination and attitudes.Results: Among the 686 students with accessible vaccine records, MenB vaccine initiation increased 9% (from 24% to 33%) and completion increased 8% (from 13% to 21%) from before the intervention to one year after the intervention. When restricting to students who completed the relevant follow-up surveys, the percentage of students who heard of the MenB vaccine increased by 15% (p > .001) from before the intervention to three months after (n = 188 students) and maintained a 10% increase (p > .001) one year after the intervention (n = 261 students). Among students that heard of the MenB vaccine, the percentage of students who thought they needed the MenB vaccine even though they received the MenACWY increased 14% (p = .03) by the three-month postintervention survey and up to 18% by the one-year follow-up (p = .002).Conclusions: A university-wide, on-campus vaccination and educational campaign increased college students' MenB vaccine initiation, completion, and knowledge.Clinicaltrials.gov ID: NCT02975596.

Turn on, Tune in, and Drop out: Predictors of Attrition in a Prospective Observational Cohort Study on Psychedelic Use

Background

The resurgence of research and public interest in the positive psychological effects of psychedelics, together with advancements in digital data collection techniques, have brought forth a new type of research design, which involves prospectively gathering large-scale naturalistic data from psychedelic users; that is, before and after the use of a psychedelic compound. A methodological limitation of such studies is their high attrition rate, particularly owing to participants who stop responding after initial study enrollment. Importantly, study dropout can introduce systematic biases that may affect the interpretability of results.

Objective

Based on a previously collected sample (baseline n=654), here we investigated potential determinants of study attrition in web-based prospective studies on psychedelic use.

Methods

Logistic regression models were used to examine demographic, psychological trait and state, and psychedelic-specific predictors of dropout. Predictors were assessed 1 week before, 1 day after, and 2 weeks after psychedelic use, with attrition being defined as noncompletion of the key endpoint 4 weeks post experience.

Results

Predictors of attrition were found among demographic variables including age (β=0.024; P=.007) and educational levels, as well as personality traits, specifically conscientiousness (β=–0.079; P=.02) and extraversion (β=0.082; P=.01). Contrary to prior hypotheses, neither baseline attitudes toward psychedelics nor the intensity of acute challenging experiences were predictive of dropout.

Conclusions

The baseline predictors of attrition identified here are consistent with those reported in longitudinal studies in other scientific disciplines, suggesting their transdisciplinary relevance. Moreover, the lack of an association between attrition and psychedelic advocacy or negative drug experiences in our sample contextualizes concerns about problematic biases in these and related data.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical education: Medical students' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding electronic learning

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused an unprecedented disruption in medical education and healthcare systems worldwide. The disease can cause life-threatening conditions and it presents challenges for medical education, as instructors must deliver lectures safely, while ensuring the integrity and continuity of the medical education process. It is therefore important to assess the usability of online learning methods, and to determine their feasibility and adequacy for medical students. We aimed to provide an overview of the situation experienced by medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to determine the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of medical students regarding electronic medical education. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with medical students from more than 13 medical schools in Libya. A paper-based and online survey was conducted using email and social media. The survey requested demographic and socioeconomic information, as well as information related to medical online learning and electronic devices; medical education status during the COVID-19 pandemic; mental health assessments; and e-learning knowledge, attitudes, and practices. A total of 3,348 valid questionnaires were retrieved. Most respondents (64.7%) disagreed that e-learning could be implemented easily in Libya. While 54.1% of the respondents agreed that interactive discussion is achievable by means of e-learning. However, only 21.1% agreed that e-learning could be used for clinical aspects, as compared with 54.8% who disagreed with this statement and 24% who were neutral. Only 27.7% of the respondents had participated in online medical educational programs during the COVID-19 pandemic, while 65% reported using the internet for participating in study groups and discussions. There is no vaccine for COVID-19 yet. As such, the pandemic will undeniably continue to disrupt medical education and training. As we face the prospect of a second wave of virus transmission, we must take certain measures and make changes to minimize the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on medical education and on the progression of training. The time for change is now, and there should be support and enthusiasm for providing valid solutions to reduce this disruption, such as online training and virtual clinical experience. These measures could then be followed by hands-on experience that is provided in a safe environment.

Correlates related to follow-up in a community engagement program in North Central Florida

AIMS

This analysis identifies the correlates of 60- and 120-day telephone-based study follow-ups among community-dwelling adults in North Central Florida.

METHODS

Six thousand three hundred and forty participants were recruited by Community Health Workers from the University of Florida's community engagement program with a face-to-face baseline and two phone follow-ups assessing indicators of health.

RESULTS

Physical disability versus none (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2─1.9), high trust in research versus none (aOR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.1─2.1), history of research participation versus none (aOR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.3─2.0), having health insurance versus none (aOR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.1─1.7), interest in research participation versus none (aOR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.3─2.7), and no drug use versus drug use (aOR, 0.5; 95% CI, 0.3─0.9) significantly predicted completion of follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Health and social factors such as disability, insurance, history of and interest in research, trust and no drug use significantly predicted completing two follow-ups. These findings can facilitate efforts to minimize attrition in the research enterprise.

Socioeconomic Status and Racial or Ethnic Differences in Participation: Web-Based Survey

Background

Web-based survey data collection has been widely used because of its advantages, although attaining and retaining participants can be challenging. There are several factors associated with successful Web-based survey participation; yet little is known regarding racial or ethnic and socioeconomic differences in the progress of a Web-based survey.

Objective

This study aimed to examine racial or ethnic and socioeconomic status (SES) differences in participation in a Web-based survey.

Methods

We conducted a secondary data analysis of a study dataset containing information on parents of preschool children. We used 2 phases of Web-based surveys: (1) screening questions including race or ethnicity information and (2) full survey with a consent form. Once potential participants submitted the screening questions, including their racial or ethnic information, the team sent the full survey link to potential participants who met study eligibility criteria. We calculated the proportion of racial or ethnic groups in each of the following areas: consent, partial survey completion, and total survey completion.

Results

A total of 487 participants (236 non-Hispanic white, 44 Hispanic, 137 black, and 70 Asian) completed initial screening questions, and a total of 458 participants met study eligibility criteria. Compared with black participants, non-Hispanic white and Asian participants were more likely to consent to participate in the study (odds ratio [OR] 1.73, 95% CI 1.08-2.78, P=.02; OR 2.07, 95% CI 1.04-4.13, P=.04, respectively). There was no racial or ethnic difference with respect to the completion of demographic questions or completion of a partial survey. Finally, compared with black participants, non-Hispanic white participants were more likely to complete the entire survey (OR 3.36, 95% CI 1.51-7.06, P<.001). With respect to SES, less educated non-Hispanic white participants were less likely to complete the survey compared with their counterparts with more education (OR 0.15, 95% CI 0.50-1.48, P<.001).

Conclusions

We found a significant difference among racial or ethnic groups as well as different education levels in Web-based survey participation. Survey researchers need to consider the SES and racial or ethnic differences in Web-based survey participation and develop strategies to address this bias in participation and completion in their research.

Predicting students' noncompliance with a smoke-free university campus policy

The adoption of university campus smoke-free and tobacco-free policies has risen dramatically, but research on effective implementation is scant. Significant challenges exist regarding policy implementation, particularly enforcement. This study examined college students' noncompliance with a recently implemented smoke-free campus policy at a public university. The sample included students who reported past-month smoking of tobacco or e-cigarettes in a 2013 web-based survey, 9 months after a smoke-free campus policy took effect. Ordinal logistic regression was used to examine predictors of students' having smoked on campus since the policy began (n = 1055). Predictor variables included past-month use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, and non-cigarette tobacco products, secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure, support for a smoke-free campus, tobacco-related social norms, use of strategies to deal with smoking urges, and other variables. In multivariate analysis, policy violation was positively associated with past-month use of cigarettes and non-cigarette combustible tobacco, SHS exposure on campus, living on campus, and use of nicotine gum/patches to handle urges. Violation was negatively associated with smoke-free campus support, age, estimates of student policy support and cigarette smoking, and self-reported absence of smoking urges. Results suggest that nicotine dependence may be an underlying influence on policy violation. Several recommendations are offered. First, upon policy adoption, campuses should ensure student smokers' access to cessation support and assistance with dealing with nicotine cravings. Second, campus information campaigns should focus particularly on younger students and those living on campus. Third, campuses should establish strong anti-tobacco norms, monitor SHS exposure, and communicate levels of students' policy support.