Following Up Nonrespondents to an Online Weight Management Intervention
Author Information
Author(s): Mick P Couper, Andy Peytchev, Victor J Strecher, Kendra Rothert, Julia Anderson
Primary Institution: University of Michigan
Hypothesis
The study aims to examine the effect of nonresponse on key outcomes and explore ways to reduce attrition in follow-up surveys.
Conclusion
Mail is an effective way to reduce attrition to online surveys, while telephone follow-up might lead to overestimating weight loss.
Supporting Evidence
- Response rates were 59% for telephone and 55% for mail follow-up surveys.
- Mail follow-up was significantly cheaper than telephone follow-up.
- Older participants were more likely to report technical issues as reasons for noncompletion.
Takeaway
This study looked at how to get people who didn't respond to an online weight loss program to answer questions later. They found that sending mail works well and is cheaper than calling people.
Methodology
700 nonrespondents were randomly assigned to either a mail or telephone follow-up survey to compare response rates and costs.
Potential Biases
Potential social desirability bias in telephone responses may affect the accuracy of reported weight loss.
Limitations
The study was conducted within a specific health maintenance organization, which may limit generalizability.
Participant Demographics
Average age of participants was 45.4 years; 82.8% were female, 56.6% were white, and 35.6% were African American.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Confidence Interval
95% CI, 2.90-5.53
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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