Randomised controlled trial of paper, online and SMS diaries for collecting sexual behaviour information from young people

Lim, Megan S C; Sacks‐Davis, Rachel; Aitken, Campbell; Hocking, Jane S; Hellard, Margaret

doi:10.1136/jech.2008.085316

Cited by 58 publications

(72 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Upon closer examination, we excluded 2 articles that used PDAs but did not transmit data using the internet17 18 and 10 articles that did not measure sexual risk behaviours as per our eligibility criteria 19–28. This left 23 articles representing 15 studies that used web-based diaries to examine sexual risk behaviour 2 3 29–49…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One compared web-based diaries with text message and paper diaries,2 while another compared diary schedules 33. Four assessed the validity of retrospective recall surveys 2 32 33 37…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The most common diary collection method was a website (n=13)2 29–31 33–49 and the most common submission frequency was daily (n=8) 32 34–42 46 47. One study, which used cell phones to collect data, administered diaries thrice daily 3.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although potentially burdensome to participants due to the time and effort required to complete diaries, their frequent nature confers advantages over methods such as retrospective (eg, 30-day) surveys, including improved recall 1. Diaries typically collect daily data such as number of partners,2 mood3 or STI symptoms,4 which may be more precise than aggregate measures collected in retrospective surveys 1 5 6. Event-level data may also allow for more accurate identification of predictors of risky behaviour and HIV/STI transmission 6…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The use of web-based diaries in sexual risk behaviour research: a systematic review

Stalgaitis

Glick

2014

Sex Transm Infect

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Background An increasing number of studies have utilized the diary method, which provides quantitative event-level data about sexual encounters. Diaries are an attractive tool for sexual behavior research, yet little is known about the range of uses, methodological issues, and best practices associated with this technology. Objectives To conduct a systematic review of the literature regarding the use of web-based diaries in sexual risk behavior studies. Design Systematic review. Data Sources Five bibliographic databases, supplemented by references from previous reviews. Methods Eligible studies were published in English before August 2013, used the Internet to transmit data from collection device to study staff, and measured behaviors affecting HIV or STI transmission risk. The primary author conducted an initial screen to eliminate irrelevant articles. Both authors conducted full-text reviews to determine final articles. We abstracted data on diary methodology, validity, and reactivity (behavior change caused by diary completion). Results Twenty-three articles representing 15 studies were identified. Most diaries were collected daily for one month via websites, and completion was generally high (>80%). Compensation varied by study and was not associated with completion. Studies comparing diary to retrospective survey data demonstrated evidence of overreporting on retrospective tools, except for the least frequent behaviors. Most studies that assessed reactivity as a result of diary completion demonstrated some change in behavior associated with frequent monitoring. Conclusions Web-based diaries are an effective means of studying sexual risk behavior. More uniform reporting and further research on the extent of reactivity are needed.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One compared web-based diaries with text message and paper diaries,2 while another compared diary schedules 33. Four assessed the validity of retrospective recall surveys 2 32 33 37…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

The use of web-based diaries in sexual risk behaviour research: a systematic review

Stalgaitis

Glick

2014

Sex Transm Infect

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“…The most common approach is to exclude participants without mobiles from data collection, either by using mobile 58 telephone number registries for initial contact and recruitment (e.g. Bexelius et al (2009), Chib et al (2012), Gold et al 59 (2011), Lim et al (2010)), or excluding non-mobile owners after initial contact and screening (e.g. Axén et al (2013), 60 Devine et al (2014), Suffoletto et al (2011)).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Should participants be given a mobile phone, or use their own? Effects of novelty vs utility

Walsh

Brinker

2016

Telematics and Informatics

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The validity and acceptability of a text-based monitoring system for pediatric asthma studies

et al. 2015

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A meaningful analysis in research requires robust, valid data. Paper diaries allow the collection of data from individuals over time but are notorious for poor compliance and validity. SMS-technology is a novel method for data collection in medical research. Time-tagged SMS are transferred directly to an electronic file. We used SMS to collect symptoms and peak flow rate (PEFR) meter readings from 32 children with asthma. Parents responded first to five SMS daily for 7 days during an asymptomatic period and then for 14 days during a cold. Compliance with use of PEFR meter and SMS system were assessed. Digital PEFR meters enabled data download at the end of the study to confirm validity of transmitted data. Parents of 24 participants provided feedback about this data collection tool. Mean (±SD) "SMS-diary and PEFR-meter compliance" were 96% (±8) and 84% (±21) during baseline and 91% (±12) and 82% (±20) during cold respectively. Correctly reported PEFR values were found in 65.5% of all cases, in 8.3% PEFR values sent were "self-invented" and 2.4% of values were missing. All of the 22 parents completing the baseline questionnaire were happy to use SMS for this study. Of the 20 parents completing the follow up questionnaire, 95% (19/20) found the system user-friendly, 55% (11/20) would be more likely to participate in studies if they were using SMS data collection and 25% (5/20) were "sometimes unhappy" about receiving messages. This real-time capture of data is well accepted and could avoid some of the pitfalls of backfilled paper diaries.

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Randomised controlled trial of paper, online and SMS diaries for collecting sexual behaviour information from young people

Cited by 58 publications

References 36 publications

The use of web-based diaries in sexual risk behaviour research: a systematic review

The use of web-based diaries in sexual risk behaviour research: a systematic review

Should participants be given a mobile phone, or use their own? Effects of novelty vs utility

The validity and acceptability of a text-based monitoring system for pediatric asthma studies

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