Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/87753
Title: Comparison of text messaging data collection vs face-to-face interviews for public health surveys : a cluster randomized crossover study of care-seeking for childhood pneumonia and diarrhoea in rural China
Authors: van Velthoven, Michelle Helena
Wang, Wei
Wu, Qiong
Li, Ye
Scherpbier, Robert W
Du, Xiaozhen
Chen, Li
Zhang, Yanfeng
Car, Josip
Rudan, Igor
Keywords: Text Messaging
Face-to-face Interviews
Issue Date: 2018
Source: van Velthoven, M. H., Wang, W., Wu, Q., Li, Y., Scherpbier, R. W., Du, X., et al. (2018). Comparison of text messaging data collection vs face-to-face interviews for public health surveys : a cluster randomized crossover study of care-seeking for childhood pneumonia and diarrhoea in rural China. Journal of Global Health, 8(1), 010802-.
Series/Report no.: Journal of Global Health
Abstract: Background: To compare text messaging and face-to-face interviews to conduct a survey on childhood diarrhoea and pneumonia. Methods: Caregivers of young children able to send text messages in Zhao County in rural China were included in this crossover study. Villages (clusters) were randomized into two groups using the ratio 1:1.6 to account for an expected higher drop-out in group 2. In group 1, participants first completed the face-to-face and then text messaging survey; this order was reversed in group 2. We determined data equivalence of 17 questions that were answered by participants who were the same person in both surveys. For the text messaging survey, we assessed the overall and item response rate. Results: We included 1014 participants between 16 and 28 March 2013: 371 in 15 villages in group 1 and 643 in 27 villages in group 2. A total of 662 (65.3%) out of 1014 participants responded (first text message question) and a significantly higher proportion who did not respond were from rural areas (P=0.005). Of 651 participants willing to participate, 356 (54.7%) completed the text messaging survey, which was marginally significantly different between the groups (P= 0.05). In total, 409 participants took part in both surveys: 183 in group 1 and 226 in group 2. There was a significantly higher proportion of caregivers from rural areas in Zhao County in the non-responder group compared to the responder group (P=0.004). Kappas were substantial for six (0.61-0.80), moderate for two (0.58 and 0.60), and fair for three questions (0.31, 0.35 and 0.37). The proportion of agreement was >90% for five questions; 80.0%-90.0% for five questions; 70.0%, 65.0% and 45.5%. The remaining questions had too small numbers to calculate these values. Conslusions: This study shows that text messaging data collection produces data similar to data from face-to-face interviews in a middle-income setting, but the response rate was insufficient for use in public health surveys. Improving the response rate is important, because text message surveys could be of greater value in rural remote areas due to the cost-saving potential.
URI: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/87753
http://hdl.handle.net/10220/45546
ISSN: 2047-2978
DOI: 10.7189/jogh.08.010802
Schools: Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine) 
Organisations: Centre for Population Health Sciences
Rights: © 2018 Journal of Global Health. This paper was published in Journal of Global Health and is made available as an electronic reprint (preprint) with permission of Journal of Global Health. The published version is available at: [http://dx.doi.org/10.7189/jogh.08.010802]. One print or electronic copy may be made for personal use only. Systematic or multiple reproduction, distribution to multiple locations via electronic or other means, duplication of any material in this paper for a fee or for commercial purposes, or modification of the content of the paper is prohibited and is subject to penalties under law.
Fulltext Permission: open
Fulltext Availability: With Fulltext
Appears in Collections:LKCMedicine Journal Articles

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