Data Collection Methodology Group, Department of Population Health, Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK.
BMC Med Res Methodol. 2024 Sep 16;24(1):209. doi: 10.1186/s12874-024-02332-0.
A decade ago paper questionnaires were more common in epidemiology than those administered online, but increasing Internet access may have changed this. Researchers planning to use a self-administered questionnaire should know whether response rates to questionnaires administered electronically differ to those of questionnaires administered by post. We analysed trials included in a recently updated Cochrane Review to answer this question.
We exported data of randomised controlled trials included in three comparisons in the Cochrane Review that had evaluated hypotheses relevant to our research objective and imported them into Stata for a series of meta-analyses not conducted in the Cochrane review. We pooled odds ratios for response using random effects meta-analyses. We explored causes of heterogeneity among study results using subgroups. We assessed evidence for reporting bias using Harbord's modified test for small-study effects.
Twenty-seven trials (66,118 participants) evaluated the effect on response of an electronic questionnaire compared with postal. Results were heterogeneous (I-squared = 98%). There was evidence for biased (greater) effect estimates in studies at high risk of bias; A synthesis of studies at low risk of bias indicates that response was increased (OR = 1.43; 95% CI 1.08-1.89) using postal questionnaires. Ten trials (39,523 participants) evaluated the effect of providing a choice of mode (postal or electronic) compared to an electronic questionnaire only. Response was increased with a choice of mode (OR = 1.63; 95% CI 1.18-2.26). Eight trials (20,909 participants) evaluated the effect of a choice of mode (electronic or postal) compared to a postal questionnaire only. There was no evidence for an effect on response of a choice of mode compared with postal only (OR = 0.94; 95% CI 0.86-1.02).
Postal questionnaires should be used in preference to, or offered in addition to, electronic modes.
十年前，在流行病学中，纸质问卷比在线问卷更为常见，但互联网的普及可能改变了这种情况。研究人员在计划使用自填式问卷时，应了解电子问卷的回复率与邮寄问卷的回复率是否不同。我们分析了最近更新的 Cochrane 综述中包含的试验，以回答这个问题。
我们从 Cochrane 综述中包含的三项比较中导出了评估与我们研究目标相关假设的随机对照试验的数据，并将其导入 Stata 进行一系列 Cochrane 综述中未进行的荟萃分析。我们使用随机效应荟萃分析汇总了反应的优势比。我们通过亚组探索研究结果异质性的原因。我们使用 Harbord 修正的小样本效应检验评估报告偏倚的证据。
27 项试验（66118 名参与者）评估了电子问卷与邮寄问卷对反应的影响。结果存在异质性（I-squared=98%）。在高偏倚风险的研究中，存在偏倚（更大）效应估计的证据；在低偏倚风险的研究综合分析中，使用邮寄问卷时，反应增加（OR=1.43；95%CI 1.08-1.89）。10 项试验（39523 名参与者）评估了提供模式选择（邮寄或电子）与仅电子问卷相比对反应的影响。模式选择增加了反应（OR=1.63；95%CI 1.18-2.26）。8 项试验（20909 名参与者）评估了模式选择（电子或邮寄）与仅邮寄问卷相比对反应的影响。与仅邮寄问卷相比，模式选择对反应没有影响（OR=0.94；95%CI 0.86-1.02）。
应优先使用邮寄问卷，或在提供电子模式的基础上，额外提供邮寄问卷。
