Recruiting and retaining community-based participants in a COVID-19 longitudinal cohort and social networks study: lessons from Victoria, Australia
Abstract Background Longitudinal studies are critical to informing evolving responses to COVID-19 but can be hampered by attrition bias, which undermines their reliability for guiding policy and practice. We describe recruitment and retention in the Optimise Study, a longitudinal cohort and social n...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-02-01
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| Series: | BMC Medical Research Methodology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-023-01874-z |
| _version_ | 1797864330444668928 |
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| author | Thi Nguyen Alexander J. Thomas Phoebe Kerr Ashleigh C. Stewart Anna Lee Wilkinson Long Nguyen Aimée Altermatt Kathryn Young Katherine Heath Anna Bowring Stephanie Fletcher-Lartey Dean Lusher Sophie Hill Alisa Pedrana Mark Stoové Katherine Gibney Margaret Hellard |
| author_facet | Thi Nguyen Alexander J. Thomas Phoebe Kerr Ashleigh C. Stewart Anna Lee Wilkinson Long Nguyen Aimée Altermatt Kathryn Young Katherine Heath Anna Bowring Stephanie Fletcher-Lartey Dean Lusher Sophie Hill Alisa Pedrana Mark Stoové Katherine Gibney Margaret Hellard |
| author_sort | Thi Nguyen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Longitudinal studies are critical to informing evolving responses to COVID-19 but can be hampered by attrition bias, which undermines their reliability for guiding policy and practice. We describe recruitment and retention in the Optimise Study, a longitudinal cohort and social networks study that aimed to inform public health and policy responses to COVID-19. Methods Optimise recruited adults residing in Victoria, Australia September 01 2020–September 30 2021. High-frequency follow-up data collection included nominating social networks for study participation and completing a follow-up survey and four follow-up diaries each month, plus additional surveys if they tested positive for COVID-19 or were a close contact. This study compared number recruited to a-priori targets as of September 302,021, retention as of December 31 2021, comparing participants retained and not retained, and follow-up survey and diary completion October 2020–December 2021. Retained participants completed a follow-up survey or diary in each of the final three-months of their follow-up time. Attrition was defined by the number of participants not retained, divided by the number who completed a baseline survey by September 302,021. Survey completion was calculated as the proportion of follow-up surveys or diaries sent to participants that were completed between October 2020–December 2021. Results At September 302,021, 663 participants were recruited and at December 312,021, 563 were retained giving an overall attrition of 15% (n = 100/663). Among the 563 retained, survey completion was 90% (n = 19,354/21,524) for follow-up diaries and 89% (n = 4936/5560) for monthly follow-up surveys. Compared to participants not retained, those retained were older (t-test, p < 0.001), and more likely to be female (χ2 , p = 0.001), and tertiary educated (χ2 , p = 0.018). Conclusion High levels of study retention and survey completion demonstrate a willingness to participate in a complex, longitudinal cohort study with high participant burden during a global pandemic. We believe comprehensive follow-up strategies, frequent dissemination of study findings to participants, and unique data collection systems have contributed to high levels of study retention. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T22:50:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-11c586d6385943c980e3ec7df54534c1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2288 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T22:50:05Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Medical Research Methodology |
| spelling | doaj.art-11c586d6385943c980e3ec7df54534c12023-03-22T11:38:55ZengBMCBMC Medical Research Methodology1471-22882023-02-0123111010.1186/s12874-023-01874-zRecruiting and retaining community-based participants in a COVID-19 longitudinal cohort and social networks study: lessons from Victoria, AustraliaThi Nguyen0Alexander J. Thomas1Phoebe Kerr2Ashleigh C. Stewart3Anna Lee Wilkinson4Long Nguyen5Aimée Altermatt6Kathryn Young7Katherine Heath8Anna Bowring9Stephanie Fletcher-Lartey10Dean Lusher11Sophie Hill12Alisa Pedrana13Mark Stoové14Katherine Gibney15Margaret Hellard16Disease Elimination, Burnet InstituteDisease Elimination, Burnet InstituteDisease Elimination, Burnet InstituteDisease Elimination, Burnet InstituteDisease Elimination, Burnet InstituteDisease Elimination, Burnet InstituteDisease Elimination, Burnet InstituteDisease Elimination, Burnet InstituteDisease Elimination, Burnet InstituteDisease Elimination, Burnet InstituteDisease Elimination, Burnet InstituteSwinburne University of TechnologyLa Trobe UniversityDisease Elimination, Burnet InstituteDisease Elimination, Burnet InstituteDepartment of Infectious Diseases, University of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityDisease Elimination, Burnet InstituteAbstract Background Longitudinal studies are critical to informing evolving responses to COVID-19 but can be hampered by attrition bias, which undermines their reliability for guiding policy and practice. We describe recruitment and retention in the Optimise Study, a longitudinal cohort and social networks study that aimed to inform public health and policy responses to COVID-19. Methods Optimise recruited adults residing in Victoria, Australia September 01 2020–September 30 2021. High-frequency follow-up data collection included nominating social networks for study participation and completing a follow-up survey and four follow-up diaries each month, plus additional surveys if they tested positive for COVID-19 or were a close contact. This study compared number recruited to a-priori targets as of September 302,021, retention as of December 31 2021, comparing participants retained and not retained, and follow-up survey and diary completion October 2020–December 2021. Retained participants completed a follow-up survey or diary in each of the final three-months of their follow-up time. Attrition was defined by the number of participants not retained, divided by the number who completed a baseline survey by September 302,021. Survey completion was calculated as the proportion of follow-up surveys or diaries sent to participants that were completed between October 2020–December 2021. Results At September 302,021, 663 participants were recruited and at December 312,021, 563 were retained giving an overall attrition of 15% (n = 100/663). Among the 563 retained, survey completion was 90% (n = 19,354/21,524) for follow-up diaries and 89% (n = 4936/5560) for monthly follow-up surveys. Compared to participants not retained, those retained were older (t-test, p < 0.001), and more likely to be female (χ2 , p = 0.001), and tertiary educated (χ2 , p = 0.018). Conclusion High levels of study retention and survey completion demonstrate a willingness to participate in a complex, longitudinal cohort study with high participant burden during a global pandemic. We believe comprehensive follow-up strategies, frequent dissemination of study findings to participants, and unique data collection systems have contributed to high levels of study retention.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-023-01874-zCovid-19Longitudinal cohort studyAttrition bias |
| spellingShingle | Thi Nguyen Alexander J. Thomas Phoebe Kerr Ashleigh C. Stewart Anna Lee Wilkinson Long Nguyen Aimée Altermatt Kathryn Young Katherine Heath Anna Bowring Stephanie Fletcher-Lartey Dean Lusher Sophie Hill Alisa Pedrana Mark Stoové Katherine Gibney Margaret Hellard Recruiting and retaining community-based participants in a COVID-19 longitudinal cohort and social networks study: lessons from Victoria, Australia BMC Medical Research Methodology Covid-19 Longitudinal cohort study Attrition bias |
| title | Recruiting and retaining community-based participants in a COVID-19 longitudinal cohort and social networks study: lessons from Victoria, Australia |
| title_full | Recruiting and retaining community-based participants in a COVID-19 longitudinal cohort and social networks study: lessons from Victoria, Australia |
| title_fullStr | Recruiting and retaining community-based participants in a COVID-19 longitudinal cohort and social networks study: lessons from Victoria, Australia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Recruiting and retaining community-based participants in a COVID-19 longitudinal cohort and social networks study: lessons from Victoria, Australia |
| title_short | Recruiting and retaining community-based participants in a COVID-19 longitudinal cohort and social networks study: lessons from Victoria, Australia |
| title_sort | recruiting and retaining community based participants in a covid 19 longitudinal cohort and social networks study lessons from victoria australia |
| topic | Covid-19 Longitudinal cohort study Attrition bias |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-023-01874-z |
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