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Mobile Phone Surveys for Collecting Population-Level Estimates in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Literature Review.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:National and subnational level surveys are important for monitoring disease burden, prioritizing resource allocation, and evaluating public health policies. As mobile phone access and ownership become more common globally, mobile phone surveys (MPSs) offer an opportunity to supplement traditional public health household surveys. OBJECTIVE:The objective of this study was to systematically review the current landscape of MPSs to collect population-level estimates in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). METHODS:Primary and gray literature from 7 online databases were systematically searched for studies that deployed MPSs to collect population-level estimates. Titles and abstracts were screened on primary inclusion and exclusion criteria by two research assistants. Articles that met primary screening requirements were read in full and screened for secondary eligibility criteria. Articles included in review were grouped into the following three categories by their survey modality: (1) interactive voice response (IVR), (2) short message service (SMS), and (3) human operator or computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI). Data were abstracted by two research assistants. The conduct and reporting of the review conformed to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. RESULTS:A total of 6625 articles were identified through the literature review. Overall, 11 articles were identified that contained 19 MPS (CATI, IVR, or SMS) surveys to collect population-level estimates across a range of topics. MPSs were used in Latin America (n=8), the Middle East (n=1), South Asia (n=2), and sub-Saharan Africa (n=8). Nine articles presented results for 10 CATI surveys (10/19, 53%). Two articles discussed the findings of 6 IVR surveys (6/19, 32%). Three SMS surveys were identified from 2 articles (3/19, 16%). Approximately 63% (12/19) of MPS were delivered to mobile phone numbers collected from previously administered household surveys. The majority of MPS (11/19, 58%) were panel surveys where a cohort of participants, who often were provided a mobile phone upon a face-to-face enrollment, were surveyed multiple times. CONCLUSIONS:Very few reports of population-level MPS were identified. Of the MPS that were identified, the majority of surveys were conducted using CATI. Due to the limited number of identified IVR and SMS surveys, the relative advantages and disadvantages among the three survey modalities cannot be adequately assessed. The majority of MPS were sent to mobile phone numbers that were collected from a previously administered household survey. There is limited evidence on whether a random digit dialing (RDD) approach or a simple random sample of mobile network provided list of numbers can produce a population representative survey.

SUBMITTER: Gibson DG

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5438460 | biostudies-literature | 2017 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Mobile Phone Surveys for Collecting Population-Level Estimates in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Literature Review.

Gibson Dustin G DG Pereira Amanda A Farrenkopf Brooke A BA Labrique Alain B AB Pariyo George W GW Hyder Adnan A AA

Journal of medical Internet research 20170505 5

<h4>Background</h4>National and subnational level surveys are important for monitoring disease burden, prioritizing resource allocation, and evaluating public health policies. As mobile phone access and ownership become more common globally, mobile phone surveys (MPSs) offer an opportunity to supplement traditional public health household surveys.<h4>Objective</h4>The objective of this study was to systematically review the current landscape of MPSs to collect population-level estimates in low- ...[more]

PMID: 28476725

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Project description:In most low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), household out-of-pocket (OOP) health spending constitutes a major source of healthcare financing. Household surveys are commonly used to monitor OOP health spending, but are prone to recall bias and unable to capture seasonal variation, and may underestimate expenditure-particularly among households with long-term chronic health conditions. Household expenditure diaries have been developed as an alternative to overcome the limitations of surveys, and pictorial diaries have been proposed where literacy levels may render traditional diary approaches inappropriate. This study compares estimates for general household and chronic healthcare expenditure in South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe derived using survey and pictorial diary approaches. We selected a random sub-sample of 900 households across urban and rural communities participating in the Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiology study. For a range of general and health-specific categories, OOP expenditure estimates use cross-sectional survey data collected via standardised questionnaire, and data from these same households collected via two-week pictorial diaries repeated four times over 2016-2019. In all countries, average monthly per capita expenditure on food, non-food/non-health items, health, and consequently, total household expenditure reported by pictorial diaries was consistently higher than that reported by surveys (each p<0.001). Differences were greatest for health expenditure. The share of total household expenditure allocated to health also differed by method, accounting for 2% in each country when using survey data, and from 8-20% when using diary data. Our findings suggest that the choice of data collection method may have significant implications for estimating OOP health spending and the burden it places on households. Despite several practical challenges to their implementation, pictorial diaries offer a method to assess potential bias in surveys or triangulate data from multiple sources. We offer some practical guidance when considering the use of pictorial diaries for estimating household expenditure.

Project description:IntroductionIncreased mobile phone subscribership in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) provides novel opportunities to track population health. The objective of this study was to examine reliability of data in comparing participant responses collected using two mobile phone survey (MPS) delivery modalities, computer assisted telephone interviews (CATI) and interactive voice response (IVR) in Bangladesh (BGD) and Tanzania (TZA).MethodsUsing a cross-over design, we used random digit dialing (RDD) to call randomly generated mobile phone numbers and recruit survey participants to receive either a CATI or IVR survey on non-communicable disease (NCD) risk factors, followed 7 days later by the survey mode not received during first contact; either IVR or CATI. Respondents who received the first survey were designated as first contact (FC) and those who consented to being called a second time and subsequently answered the call were designated as follow-up (FU). We used the same questionnaire for both contacts, with response options modified to suit the delivery mode. Reliability of responses was analyzed using the Cohen's kappa statistic for percent agreement between two modes.ResultsSelf-reported data on demographic characteristics and NCD behavioral risk factors were collected from 482 (CATI-FC) and 653 (IVR-FC) age-eligible and consenting respondents in BGD, and from 387 (CATI-FC) and 674 (IVR-FC) respondents in TZA respectively. Survey follow-up rates were 30.7% (n = 482) for IVR-FU and 53.8% (n = 653) for CATI-FU in BGD; and 42.4% (n = 387) for IVR-FU and 49.9% (n = 674) for CATI-FU in TZA respectively. Overall, there was high consistency between delivery modalities for alcohol consumption in the past 30 days in both countries (kappa = 0.64 for CATI→IVR (BGD), kappa = 0.54 for IVR→CATI (BGD); kappa = 0.66 for CATI→IVR (TZA), kappa = 0.76 for IVR→CATI (TZA)), and current smoking (kappa = 0.68 for CATI→IVR (BGD), kappa = 0.69 for IVR→CATI (BGD); kappa = 0.39 for CATI→IVR (TZA), kappa = 0.50 for IVR→CATI (TZA)). There was moderate to substantial consistency in both countries for history of checking for hypertension and diabetes with kappa statistics ranging from 0.43 to 0.67. There was generally lower consistency in both countries for physical activity (vigorous and moderate) with kappa statistics ranging from 0.10 to 0.41, weekly fruit and vegetable with kappa ranging from 0.08 to 0.45, consumption of foods high in salt and efforts to limit salt with kappa generally below 0.3.ConclusionsThe study found that when respondents are re-interviewed, the reliability of answers to most demographic and NCD variables is similar whether starting with CATI or IVR. The study underscores the need for caution when selecting questions for mobile phone surveys. Careful design can help ensure clarity of questions to minimize cognitive burden for respondents, many of whom may not have prior experience in taking automated surveys. Further research should explore possible differences and determinants of survey reliability between delivery modes and ideally compare both IVR and CATI surveys to in-person face-to-face interviews. In addition, research is needed to better understand factors that influence survey cooperation, completion, refusal and attrition rates across populations and contexts.

Project description:BackgroundPopulation-based health surveys are typically conducted using face-to-face household interviews in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, telephone-based surveys are cheaper, faster, and can provide greater access to hard-to-reach or remote populations. The rapid growth in mobile phone ownership in LMICs provides a unique opportunity to implement novel data collection methods for population health surveys.ObjectiveThis study aims to describe the development and population representativeness of a mobile phone survey measuring live poultry exposure in urban Bangladesh.MethodsA population-based, cross-sectional, mobile phone survey was conducted between September and November 2019 in North and South Dhaka City Corporations (DCC), Bangladesh, to measure live poultry exposure using a stratified probability sampling design. Data were collected using a computer-assisted telephone interview platform. The call operational data were summarized, and the participant data were weighted by age, sex, and education to the 2011 census. The demographic distribution of the weighted sample was compared with external sources to assess population representativeness.ResultsA total of 5486 unique mobile phone numbers were dialed, with 1047 respondents completing the survey. The survey had an overall response rate of 52.2% (1047/2006) and a co-operation rate of 89.0% (1047/1176). Initial results comparing the sociodemographic profile of the survey sample to the census population showed that mobile phone sampling slightly underrepresented older individuals and overrepresented those with higher secondary education. After weighting, the demographic profile of the sample population matched well with the latest DCC census population profile.ConclusionsProbability-based mobile phone survey sampling and data collection methods produced a population-representative sample with minimal adjustment in DCC, Bangladesh. Mobile phone-based surveys can offer an efficient, economic, and robust way to conduct surveillance for population health outcomes, which has important implications for improving population health surveillance in LMICs.

Project description:BackgroundUnderstanding subnational variation in age-specific fertility rates (ASFRs) and total fertility rates (TFRs), and geographical clustering of high fertility and its determinants in low-income and middle-income countries, is increasingly needed for geographical targeting and prioritising of policy. We aimed to identify variation in fertility rates, to describe patterns of key selected fertility determinants in areas of high fertility.MethodsWe did a subnational analysis of ASFRs and TFRs from the most recent publicly available and nationally representative cross-sectional Demographic and Health Surveys and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys collected between 2010 and 2016 for 70 low-income, lower-middle-income, and upper-middle-income countries, across 932 administrative units. We assessed the degree of global spatial autocorrelation by using Moran's I statistic and did a spatial cluster analysis using the Getis-Ord Gi* local statistic to examine the geographical clustering of fertility and key selected fertility determinants. Descriptive analysis was used to investigate the distribution of ASFRs and of selected determinants in each cluster.FindingsTFR varied from below replacement (2·1 children per women) in 36 of the 932 subnational regions (mainly located in India, Myanmar, Colombia, and Armenia), to rates of 8 and higher in 14 subnational regions, located in sub-Saharan Africa and Afghanistan. Areas with high-fertility clusters were mostly associated with areas of low prevalence of women with secondary or higher education, low use of contraception, and high unmet needs for family planning, although exceptions existed.InterpretationSubstantial within-country variation in the distribution of fertility rates highlights the need for tailored programmes and strategies in high-fertility cluster areas to increase the use of contraception and access to secondary education, and to reduce unmet need for family planning.FundingWellcome Trust, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Project description:Health Impact Assessments (HIAs) motivate effective measures for safeguarding public health. There is consensus that HIAs in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) are lacking, but no study systematically focuses on those that have been successfully conducted across all regions of the world, nor do they highlight factors that may enable or hinder their implementation. Our objectives are to (1) systematically review, geographically map, and characterize HIA activity in LMICs; and (2) apply a process evaluation method to identify factors which are important to improve HIA implementation in LMICs. A systematic review of peer-reviewed HIAs in 156 LMICs was performed in Scopus, Medline, Web of Science, Sociological abstracts, and LILACs (Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences) databases. The search used PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines and covered HIAs across all type of interventions, topics, and health outcomes. HIAs were included if they reported a clear intervention and health outcome to be assessed. No time restriction was applied, and grey literature was not included. The eligible studies were subjected to six process evaluation criteria. The search yielded 3178 hits and 57 studies were retained. HIAs were conducted in 26 out of 156 countries. There was an unequal distribution of HIAs across regions and within LMICs countries. The leading topics of HIA in LMICs were air pollution, development projects, and urban transport planning. Most of the HIAs reported quantitative approaches (72%), focused on air pollution (46%), appraised policies (60%), and were conducted at the city level (36%). The process evaluation showed important variations in the way HIAs have been conducted and low uniformity in the reporting of six criteria. No study reported the time, money, and staff used to perform HIAs. Only 12% of HIAs were based on participatory approaches; 92% of HIAs considered multiple outcomes; and 61% of HIAs provided recommendations and fostered cross-national collaboration. The limited transparency in process, weak participation, and inconsistent delivery of recommendations were potential limitations to HIA implementation in low and middle-income countries. Scaling and improving HIA implementation in low and middle-income countries in the upcoming years will depend on expanding geographically by increasing HIA governance, adapting models and tools in quantitative methods, and adopting better reporting practices.

Dataset Information

Mobile Phone Surveys for Collecting Population-Level Estimates in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Literature Review.

Publications

Mobile Phone Surveys for Collecting Population-Level Estimates in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Literature Review.

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