目标化求职信能否提高健康调查的参与率？一项随机对照试验的结果。

Can targeted cover letters improve participation in health surveys? Results from a randomized controlled trial.

机构信息

National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Studiestræde 6, 1455, Copenhagen K, Denmark.

Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK.

出版信息

BMC Med Res Methodol. 2019 Jul 17;19(1):151. doi: 10.1186/s12874-019-0799-4.

DOI:10.1186/s12874-019-0799-4

PMID:31315577

原文链接:https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6635988/

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Improving response rates in epidemiologic studies is important for the generalizability of the outcome. The aim of this study was to examine whether it can be advantageous for participation to target different versions of the cover letters to different sample subgroups.

METHODS

A randomized trial was incorporated in a cross-sectional health survey in Denmark (n = 25,000) where a motivational sentence in the cover letter intended to heighten perceptions of relevance of the survey was varied among 11 sample subgroups (treatment groups). Ten different versions of a sentence outlining questionnaire themes were tested: each mentioned three out of five themes: stress, alcohol, sex, sleep problems, and contact with family and friends. An eleventh group, the control group, omitted this sentence.

RESULTS

On average, the additional motivational sentence resulted in a significantly lower response rate overall compared to the control group. However, the additional motivational sentence was found to have heterogeneous effects on survey response. Furthermore, the nature of the heterogeneity differed between the versions of the sentence. Specifically, the additional sentence tended to produce a higher response rate among the youngest age group and a lower response rate in the oldest age group compared to the generic letter. The use of alcohol in the motivational sentence tended to have a positive effect on response in the age group 16-24 years, and stress tended to have a positive effect in the age group ≥65 years. On the contrary, sex tended to have a negative effect in the age groups 45-64 years and ≥ 65 years. However, a significant interaction was only found between the use of stress and age group (p = < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION

The findings of significant and heterogeneous effects suggest that there is potential for a targeted approach to improve both response rates and sample composition. The uneven effect of the separate themes across age groups suggests that the selection of themes to be included in the motivational sentence is important for the use of targeted appeals to be successful and warrants further research to better identify which themes works in which contexts, in which subgroups and under which circumstances.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03046368 , retrospectively registered February 8th, 2017.

摘要

背景

提高流行病学研究的应答率对于研究结果的推广性很重要。本研究旨在探讨针对不同样本亚组，将不同版本的封面信作为目标是否会更有利于参与。

方法

本研究将一项随机试验纳入丹麦的一项横断面健康调查（n=25000），其中封面信中的一句激励性语句旨在提高调查的相关性感知，在 11 个样本亚组（处理组）中进行了变化。测试了十种不同版本的概述问卷主题的句子：每种句子都提到了五个主题中的三个：压力、酒精、性、睡眠问题以及与家人和朋友的联系。第十一个小组，即对照组，省略了这句话。

结果

平均而言，与对照组相比，额外的激励性语句整体上导致的应答率显著降低。然而，发现额外的激励性语句对调查应答有不同的影响。此外，句子版本之间的异质性性质也不同。具体而言，与通用信件相比，在最年轻的年龄组中，附加句子往往会产生更高的应答率，而在最年长的年龄组中则会产生较低的应答率。在 16-24 岁年龄组中，激励性句子中使用酒精往往会对应答产生积极影响，而在≥65 岁年龄组中，压力往往会产生积极影响。相反，在 45-64 岁和≥65 岁年龄组中，性往往会产生负面影响。然而，仅在使用压力和年龄组之间发现了显著的交互作用（p<0.0001）。