Institute of Public Health, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana , Bogotá, Colombia.
Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health , Baltimore, MD, USA.
Glob Health Action. 2020 Dec 31;13(1):1809841. doi: 10.1080/16549716.2020.1809841.
Data collection on noncommunicable disease (NCD) behavioral risk factors has traditionally been carried out through face-to-face surveys. However, its high costs and logistical difficulties can lead to lack of timely statistics for planning, particularly in low and middle-income countries. Mobile phone surveys (MPS) have the potential to fill these gaps.
This study explores perceptions, feasibility and strategies to increase the acceptability and response rate of health surveys administered through MPS using interactive voice response in Colombia.
A sequential multimodal exploratory design was used. We conducted key informant interviews (KII) with stakeholders from government and academia; focus group discussions (FGDs) and user-group tests (UGTs) with young adults and elderly people living in rural and urban settings (men and women). The KII and FGDs explored perceptions of using mobile phones for NCD surveys. In the UGTs, participants were administered an IVR survey, and they provided feedback on its usability and potential improvement.
Between February and November 2017, we conducted 7 KII, 6 FGDs (n = 54) and 4 UGTs (n = 34). Most participants consider MPS is a novel way to explore risk factors in NCDs. They also recognize challenges for their implementation including security issues, technological literacy and telecommunications coverage, especially in rural areas. It was recommended to promote the survey using mass media before its deployment and stressing its objectives, responsible institution and data privacy safeguards. The preferences in the survey administration relate to factors such as skills in the use of mobile phones, age, availability of time and educational level. The participants recommend questionnaires shorter than 10 minutes.
The possibility of obtaining data through MPS at a population level represents an opportunity to improve the availability of risk-factor data. Steps towards increasing the acceptability and overcoming technological and methodological challenges need to be taken.
非传染性疾病（NCD）行为风险因素的数据收集传统上是通过面对面调查进行的。然而，其高成本和后勤困难可能导致规划缺乏及时的统计数据，尤其是在中低收入国家。移动电话调查（MPS）有可能填补这些空白。
本研究探讨了在哥伦比亚，使用交互式语音应答通过 MPS 进行健康调查的感知、可行性和提高可接受性和响应率的策略。
采用顺序多模式探索性设计。我们对政府和学术界的利益相关者进行了关键知情人访谈（KII）；对农村和城市地区（男性和女性）的年轻人和老年人进行了焦点小组讨论（FGD）和用户组测试（UGT）。KII 和 FGD 探讨了使用移动电话进行 NCD 调查的看法。在 UGT 中，参与者接受了 IVR 调查，并就其可用性和潜在改进提供了反馈。
2017 年 2 月至 11 月期间，我们进行了 7 次 KII、6 次 FGD（n=54）和 4 次 UGT（n=34）。大多数参与者认为 MPS 是探索 NCD 风险因素的一种新方法。他们还认识到实施这些方法的挑战，包括安全问题、技术素养和电信覆盖范围，尤其是在农村地区。建议在部署前利用大众媒体宣传调查，并强调其目标、负责机构和数据隐私保护措施。调查管理方面的偏好与使用移动电话的技能、年龄、时间可用性和教育水平等因素有关。参与者建议问卷时间不超过 10 分钟。
通过 MPS 在人群层面获得数据的可能性代表了改善风险因素数据可用性的机会。需要采取措施提高可接受性并克服技术和方法学挑战。
