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ABSTRACT: Objectives
The aim of the study was to determine whether behaviourally informed short message service (SMS) primer and reminder messages could increase the return rate of HIV self-sampling kits ordered online.Methods
The study was a 2 × 2 factorial design randomized control trial. A total of 9585 individuals who ordered a self-sampling kit from www.freetesting.hiv different SMS combinations: 1) standard reminders sent days 3 and 7 after dispatch (control); 2) primer sent 1 day after dispatch plus standard reminders; 3) behavioural insights (BI) reminders (no primer); or 4) primer plus BI reminders. The analysis was restricted to individuals who received all messages (n = 8999). We used logistic regression to investigate independent effects of the primer and BI reminders and their interaction. We explored the impact of sociodemographic characteristics on kit return as a secondary analysis.Results
Those who received the primer and BI reminders had a return rate 4% higher than that of those who received the standard messages. We found strong evidence of a positive effect of the BI reminders (odds ratio 1.13; 95% confidence interval 1.04-1.23; P = 0.003) but no evidence for an effect of the primer, or for an interaction between the two interventions. Odds of kit return increased with age, with those aged ? 65 years being almost 2.5 times more likely to return the kit than those aged 25-34 years. Men who have sex with men were 1.5-4.5 times more likely to return the kit compared with other sexual behaviour and gender identity groups. Non-African black clients were 25% less likely to return the kit compared with other ethnicities.Conclusions
Adding BI to reminder messages was successful in improving return rates at no additional cost.
SUBMITTER: Brown LJ
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6175432 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Brown L J LJ Tan K S KS Guerra L E LE Naidoo C J CJ Nardone A A
HIV medicine 20180702 9
<h4>Objectives</h4>The aim of the study was to determine whether behaviourally informed short message service (SMS) primer and reminder messages could increase the return rate of HIV self-sampling kits ordered online.<h4>Methods</h4>The study was a 2 × 2 factorial design randomized control trial. A total of 9585 individuals who ordered a self-sampling kit from www.freetesting.hiv different SMS combinations: 1) standard reminders sent days 3 and 7 after dispatch (control); 2) primer sent 1 day af ...[more]