Multimodal Recruitment to Study Ovulation and Menstruation Health: Internet-Based Survey Pilot Study.
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ABSTRACT: Background
Multimodal recruitment strategies are a novel way to increase diversity in research populations. However, these methods have not been previously applied to understanding the prevalence of menstrual disorders such as polycystic ovary syndrome.Objective
The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility of recruiting a diverse cohort to complete a web-based survey on ovulation and menstruation health.Methods
We conducted the Ovulation and Menstruation Health Pilot Study using a REDCap web-based survey platform. We recruited 200 women from a clinical population, a community fair, and the internet.Results
We recruited 438 women over 29 weeks between September 2017 and March 2018. After consent and eligibility determination, 345 enrolled, 278 started (clinic: n=43; community fair: n=61; internet: n=174), and 247 completed (clinic: n=28; community fair: n=60; internet: n=159) the survey. Among all participants, the median age was 25.0 (SD 6.0) years, mean BMI was 26.1 kg/m2 (SD 6.6), 79.7% (216/271) had a college degree or higher, and 14.6% (37/254) reported a physician diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome. Race and ethnicity distributions were 64.7% (176/272) White, 11.8% (32/272) Black/African American, 7.7% (21/272) Latina/Hispanic, and 5.9% (16/272) Asian individuals; 9.9% (27/272) reported more than one race or ethnicity. The highest enrollment of Black/African American individuals was in clinic (17/42, 40.5%) compared to 1.6% (1/61) in the community fair and 8.3% (14/169) using the internet. Survey completion rates were highest among those who were recruited from the internet (159/174, 91.4%) and community fairs (60/61, 98.4%) compared to those recruited in clinic (28/43, 65.1%).Conclusions
Multimodal recruitment achieved target recruitment in a short time period and established a racially diverse cohort to study ovulation and menstruation health. There were greater enrollment and completion rates among those recruited via the internet and community fair.
SUBMITTER: Mahalingaiah S
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8087968 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:BackgroundAvailable research suggests that menstrual inequity has an impact on (menstrual) health outcomes and emotional wellbeing. It is also a significant barrier to achieve social and gender equity and compromises human rights and social justice. The aim of this study was to describe menstrual inequities and their associations with sociodemographic factors, among women and people who menstruate (PWM) aged 18-55 in Spain.MethodsA cross-sectional survey-based study was conducted in Spain between March and July 2021. Descriptive statistical analyses and multivariate logistic regression models were performed.ResultsA total of 22,823 women and PWM were included in the analyses (Mean age = 33.2, SD = 8.7). Over half of the participants had accessed healthcare services for menstruation (61.9%). The odds for accessing menstrual-related services were significantly higher among participants with university education (aOR: 1.48, 95% CI, 1.13-1.95). Also, 57.8% reported having had partial or no menstrual education pre-menarche, with odds being higher among participants born in non-European or Latin American countries (aOR: 0.58, 95% CI, 0.36-0.93). Lifetime self-reported menstrual poverty was between 22.2-39.9%. Main risk factors for menstrual poverty were identifying as non-binary (aOR: 1.67, 95% CI, 1.32-2.11), being born in non-European or Latin American countries (aOR: 2.74, 95% CI, 1.77-4.24), and not having a permit to reside in Spain (aOR: 4.27, 95% CI, 1.94-9.38). Completed university education (aOR: 0.61, 95% CI, 0.44-0.84) and no financial hardship < 12 months (aOR: 0.06, 95% CI, 0.06-0.07) were protective factors for menstrual poverty. Besides, 75.2% reported having overused menstrual products due to lack of access to adequate menstrual management facilities. Menstrual-related discrimination was reported by 44.5% of the participants. Non-binary participants (aOR: 1.88, 95% CI, 1.52-2.33) and those who did not have a permit to reside in Spain (aOR: 2.11, 95% CI, 1.10-4.03) had higher odds of reporting menstrual-related discrimination. Work and education absenteeism were reported by 20.3% and 62.7% of the participants, respectively.ConclusionsOur study suggests that menstrual inequities affect a high number of women and PWM in Spain, especially those more socioeconomically deprived, vulnerabilised migrant populations and non-binary and trans menstruators. Findings from this study can be valuable to inform future research and menstrual inequity policies.
| S-EPMC10189710 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundSocial media platforms have experienced unprecedented levels of growth and usage over the past decade, with Facebook hosting 2.7 billion active users worldwide, including over 200 million users in the United States. Facebook users have been underutilized and understudied by the academic community as a resource for participant recruitment.ObjectiveWe performed a pilot study to explore the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of Facebook advertisements for the recruitment of an online agricultural health and safety survey.MethodsWe undertook a 1-week advertising campaign utilizing the integrated, targeted advertising platform of Facebook Ads Manager with a target-spending limit of US $294. We created and posted three advertisements depicting varying levels of agricultural safety adoption leading to a brief survey on farm demographics and safety attitudes. We targeted our advertisements toward farm mothers aged 21-50 years in the United States and determined cost-effectiveness and potential biases. No participant incentive was offered.ResultsWe reached 40,024 users and gathered 318 advertisement clicks. Twenty-nine participants consented to the survey with 24 completions. Including personnel costs, the cost per completed survey was US $17.42. Compared to the distribution of female producers in the United States, our advertisements were unexpectedly overrepresented in the eastern United States and were underrepresented in the western United States.ConclusionsFacebook Ads Manager represents a potentially cost-effective and timely method to recruit participants for online health and safety research when targeting a specific population. However, social media recruitment mirrors traditional recruitment methods in its limitations, exhibiting geographic, response, and self-selection biases that need to be addressed.
| S-EPMC8060866 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundMisinformation about Lyme disease and other tick-transmitted pathogens circulates frequently on the internet and can compete with, or even overshadow, science-based guidance on tick-borne disease (TBD) prevention.ObjectiveWe surveyed internet users connected to academic tick-related resources to identify trusted sources of Lyme disease prevention information, explore confidence in tick bite prevention information, and examine associations of these responses with answers to commonly disputed issues.MethodsThe survey was conducted through social media and website pages for Western Connecticut State University Tickborne Disease Prevention Laboratory and the University of Rhode Island TickEncounter Resource Center.ResultsRespondents (N=1190) were predominantly female (903/1190, 76.3%), middle-aged (574/1182, 48.6%), and resided in New England states (663/1190, 55.7%). In total 984 of 1186 (83%) respondents identified conventional experts (eg, the Centers for Disease Control [CDC] or other government health agencies, physicians who follow Infectious Diseases Society of America guidelines for Lyme disease treatment guidelines, and academics) as trustworthy TBD prevention resources. However, nearly one-fourth of respondents would first consult personal contacts and web-based communities regarding prevention information before consulting conventional expert sources. The opinions of public health experts and physicians were rated among the top motivators underlying personal prevention decisions; yet, more than 50% of participants revealed distrustful attitudes toward, or were uncertain about, CDC-supported statements related to time to transmission of Lyme disease (708/1190, 59.5%), the safety of diethyltoluamide-based repellents for children (604/1183, 51.1%), and recommended use of antibiotic prophylaxis (773/1181, 65.4%). Multimodal regression models revealed that participants from high-Lyme-disease-incidence states were more likely to first seek TBD prevention information from personal networks and nontraditional sources before approaching conventional sources of TBD prevention information. We found that those reporting high rates of social media usage were more than twice as likely to first seek traditional expert sources of prevention information but were overall more likely to reject CDC-promoted Lyme disease information, in particular the established time to transmission of Lyme disease bacteria. Models also predicted that those participants who disagreed with the conventional scientific view on the antibiotic prophylaxis prevention statement were less likely to be confident in their ability to protect themselves from a tick bite. Overall, uncertainty in one's ability to protect oneself against tick bites was strongly associated with uncertainty about beliefs in CDC-promoted TBD prevention information. Self-reported trust in experts and frequency of social media use suggest that these platforms may provide opportunities to engage directly with the public about TBD prevention practices.ConclusionsUsing strategies to improve public trust and provide information where the public engages on social media may improve prevention communication and adoption of best practices.
| S-EPMC10413241 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundInternet interventions have been proposed to improve the accessibility and use of evidence-based psychological treatments. However, little is known about attitudes toward such treatments, which can be an important barrier to their use.ObjectiveThis study aimed to (1) determine attitudes toward guided internet interventions, (2) assess its acceptability compared with other internet-based formats, and (3) explore predictors of acceptance.MethodsA convenience-sample Web-based survey (N=646) assessed attitudes toward guided internet therapies (ie, perceived usefulness and helpfulness, and advantage relative to face-to-face therapy), preferences for delivery modes (ie, e-preference: guided internet interventions, unguided internet interventions, or videoconferencing psychotherapy), and potential predictors of attitudes and preferences: sociodemographics, help-seeking-related variables, attachment style, and perceived stress.ResultsAlthough most participants perceived internet interventions as useful or helpful (426/646, 65.9%), a few indicated their advantage relative to face-to-face therapy (56/646, 8.7%). Most participants preferred guided internet interventions (252/646, 39.0%) over videoconferencing psychotherapy (147/646, 22.8%), unguided internet interventions (124/646, 19.2%), and not using internet interventions (121/646, 18.8%; missing data: 1/646, 0.2%). Attachment avoidance and stress were related to e-preference (all P<.05). Moreover, preference for therapist-guided internet interventions was higher for individuals who were aware of internet-based treatment (χ26=12.8; P=.046).ConclusionsParticipants assessed therapist-guided internet interventions as helpful, but not equivalent to face-to-face therapies. The vast majority (523/646, 81.0%) of the participants were potentially willing to use internet-based approaches. In lieu of providing patients with only one specific low-intensity treatment, implementation concepts should offer several options, including guided internet interventions, but not limited to them. Conversely, our results also indicate that efforts should focus on increasing public knowledge about internet interventions, including information about their effectiveness, to promote acceptance and uptake.
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Project description:BackgroundChronic pain from temporomandibular disorders remains an undertreated condition with debate regarding the most effective treatment modalities.ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to investigate the treatment effect of an internet-based multimodal pain program on chronic temporomandibular disorder pain and evaluate the feasibility of a larger randomized controlled trial.MethodsAn unblinded randomized controlled pilot trial was conducted with 43 participants (34 females, 9 males; median age 27, IQR 23-37 years) with chronic temporomandibular pain. Participants were recruited within the Public Dental Health Service and randomized to intervention (n=20) or active control (n=23). The intervention comprised a dentist-assisted internet-based multimodal pain program with 7 modules based on cognitive behavior therapy and self-management principles. The control group received conventional occlusal splint therapy. Primary outcomes included characteristic pain intensity, pain-related disability, and jaw functional limitation. Secondary outcomes were depression, anxiety, catastrophizing, and stress. Outcomes were self-assessed through questionnaires sent by mail at 3 and 6 months after treatment start. Feasibility evaluation included testing the study protocol and estimation of recruitment and attrition rates in the current research setting.ResultsOnly 49% of participants (21/43) provided data at the 6-month follow-up (internet-based multimodal pain program: n=7; control: n=14). Of the 20 participants randomized to the internet-based multimodal pain program, 14 started treatment and 8 completed all 7 modules of the program. Between-group analysis showed no significant difference for any outcome measure at 3- or 6-month follow-up-characteristic pain intensity (3 months: P=.58; 6 months: P=.41), pain-related disability (3 months: P=.51; 6 months: P=.12), jaw functional limitation (3 months: P=.45; 6 months: P=.90), degree of depression (3 months: P=.64; 6 months: P=.65), anxiety (3 months: P=.93; 6 months: P=.31), stress (3 months: P=.66; 6 months: P=.74), or catastrophizing (3 months: P=.86; 6 months: P=.85). Within-group analysis in the internet-based multimodal pain program group showed a significant reduction in jaw functional limitation score at the 6-month follow-up compared to baseline (Friedman: χ2=10.2, P=.04; Wilcoxon: z=-2.3, P=.02). In the occlusal splint group, jaw function limitation was also reduced at the 6-month follow-up (Friedman: χ2=20.0, P=.045; Wilcoxon: z=-2.3, P=.02), and there was a reduction in characteristic pain intensity at the 3- and 6-month follow-up (Friedman: χ2=25.1, P=.01; Wilcoxon 3 months: z=-3.0, P=.003; Wilcoxon 6 months: z=-3.3, P=.001).ConclusionsThis study was not able to demonstrate a difference in treatment outcome between an internet-based multimodal pain program and occlusal splint therapy in patients with chronic temporomandibular pain. However, the findings suggested that the internet-based multimodal pain program improves jaw function. The results also confirmed the treatment effect of occlusal splint therapy for chronic temporomandibular pain. Furthermore, because of the high attrition rate, this pilot study showed that a randomized controlled trial with this design is not feasible.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT04363762; https://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT04363762.
| S-EPMC7592067 | biostudies-literature
Project description:For foreign-born populations, difficulty in finding health care information in their primary language is a structural barrier to accessing timely health care. While such information may be available at a national level, it may not always be relevant or appropriate to the living situations of these people. Our objective was to explore the quality of online multilingual health information environments by pilot-testing a framework for assessing such information at the prefectural level in Japan. The framework consisted of five health care domains (health system, hospitals, emergency services, medical interpreters, and health insurance). Framework scores varied considerably among prefectures; many resources were machine-translated. These scores were significantly associated with foreign population proportion and the number of hospitals in each prefecture. Our multilingual health care information environment (MHCIE) framework provides a measure of health access inclusivity, which has not been quantified before. It is adaptable to other international contexts, but further validation is required.
| S-EPMC8296914 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BACKGROUND:Participant recruitment is often a challenge, particularly enrolling individuals with relatively rare characteristics. The wide reach of social media may provide a mechanism to overcome these challenges. OBJECTIVE:This paper aimed to provide information to researchers who seek to recruit participants from rare populations using social media for studies with demanding protocols. We aimed to describe a pilot study protocol that identified and enrolled pregnant women (second or third trimester) who were exclusive users of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes). We have described the recruitment methods, time, and cost; examined advertisement types that were more or less successful; discussed participant retention and relationship management; and described the process of collecting biological data. METHODS:In an open-access, nonrandomized pilot study, we placed Facebook advertisements that were selectively targeting women who were likely to be pregnant and interested in e-cigarettes or vaping. The advertisements invited individuals to complete a fully automated eligibility screener based on Qualtrics. Eligible participants were asked to (1) complete a Web-based survey that collected detailed information on the use of e-cigarettes, including the exact type of device and electronic liquid, (2) report the frequency and intensity of e-cigarette use for 3 months before pregnancy and during each trimester, and (3) provide a saliva specimen for a nicotine biomarker assay. We collected a photograph of each participant's e-cigarette device, 8 weeks after the mother's due date, to allow corroboration of the self-report and the baby's birth weight and gestational age from the participant's physician. RESULTS:Participants were recruited between August 19 and October 26, 2017. We enrolled 20 participants in 2 months at a cost of US $3421.28. Baseline data were collected for all 20 participants. Of the 20 women enrolled, 16 provided a saliva sample, 4 provided a photo of the e-cigarette device, and 10 provided physician contact information. Of the 10 physicians contacted by mail, 6 responded with information on the participants and their babies. CONCLUSIONS:Study findings suggest that Facebook's targeting criteria should focus on e-cigarette users to maximize advertisement exposure of potentially eligible women. In addition, saliva sample collection was feasible among pregnant women (second or third trimester) who were exclusive e-cigarette users, but obtaining photographs and physician reports was problematic and called for further refinement. These lessons are likely useful to others who are seeking to use social media to recruit participants from rare populations into studies with demanding protocols.
| S-EPMC6913691 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is widely regarded as an effective treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), but access to CBT therapists is limited. Internet-based CBT (ICBT) with therapist support is a way to increase access to CBT but has not been developed or tested for OCD. The aim of this study was to evaluate ICBT for OCD.An open trial where patients (N = 23) received a 15-week ICBT program with therapist support consisting of psychoeducation, cognitive restructuring and exposure with response prevention. The primary outcome was the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), which was assessed by a psychiatrist before and immediately after treatment. Secondary outcomes were self-rated measures of OCD symptoms, depressive symptoms, general functioning, anxiety and quality of life. All assessments were made at baseline and post-treatment.All participants completed the primary outcome measure at all assessment points. There were reductions in OCD symptoms with a large within-group effect size (Cohen's d = 1.56). At post-treatment, 61% of participants had a clinically significant improvement and 43% no longer fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of OCD. The treatment also resulted in statistically significant improvements in self-rated OCD symptoms, general functioning and depression.ICBT with therapist support reduces OCD symptoms, depressive symptoms and improves general functioning. Randomized trials are needed to confirm the effectiveness of this new treatment format.
| S-EPMC3163522 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe rapidly evolving digital environment of the social media era has increased the reach of both quality health information and misinformation. Platforms such as YouTube enable easy sharing of attractive, if not always evidence-based, videos with large personal networks and the public. Although much research has focused on characterizing health misinformation on the internet, it has not sufficiently focused on describing and measuring individuals' information competencies that build resilience.ObjectiveThis study aims to assess individuals' willingness to share a non-evidence-based YouTube video about strengthening the immune system; to describe types of evidence that individuals view as supportive of the claim by the video; and to relate information-sharing behavior to several information competencies, namely, information literacy, science literacy, knowledge of the immune system, interpersonal trust, and trust in health authority.MethodsA web-based survey methodology with 150 individuals across the United States was used. Participants were asked to watch a YouTube excerpt from a morning TV show featuring a wellness pharmacy representative promoting an immunity-boosting dietary supplement produced by his company; answer questions about the video and report whether they would share it with a cousin who was frequently sick; and complete instruments pertaining to the information competencies outlined in the objectives.ResultsMost participants (105/150, 70%) said that they would share the video with their cousins. Their confidence in the supplement would be further boosted by a friend's recommendations, positive reviews on a crowdsourcing website, and statements of uncited effectiveness studies on the producer's website. Although all information literacy competencies analyzed in this study had a statistically significant relationship with the outcome, each competency was also highly correlated with the others. Information literacy and interpersonal trust independently predicted the largest amount of variance in the intention to share the video (17% and 16%, respectively). Interpersonal trust was negatively related to the willingness to share the video. Science literacy explained 7% of the variance.ConclusionsPeople are vulnerable to web-based misinformation and are likely to propagate it on the internet. Information literacy and science literacy are associated with less vulnerability to misinformation and a lower propensity to spread it. Of the two, information literacy holds a greater promise as an intervention target. Understanding the role of different kinds of trust in information sharing merits further research.
| S-EPMC8704117 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundApproximately 10%-15% of children struggle with different socioemotional and psychological difficulties in infancy and early childhood. Thus, health service providers should have access to mental health interventions that can reach more parents than traditional face-to-face interventions. However, despite increasing evidence on the efficacy of internet-based mental health interventions, the pace in transferring such interventions to health care has been slow. One of the major suggested barriers to this may be the health personnel's attitudes to perceived usefulness of internet-based interventions.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to examine health professionals' perceived usefulness of internet-based mental health interventions and to identify the key areas that they consider new internet-based services to be useful.MethodsBetween May and September 2018, 2884 leaders and practitioners of infant and child health services were recruited to a cross-sectional web-based survey through the following channels: (1) existing email addresses from the Regional Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Eastern and Southern Norway, course database, (2) an official mailing list to infant and child health services, (3) social media, or (4) other recruitment channels. Respondents filled in background information and were asked to rate the usefulness of internet-based interventions for 12 different infant and child mental health problem areas based on the broad categories from the Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health and Developmental Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood (DC:0-5). Perceived usefulness was assessed with 1 global item: "How often do you think internet-based self-help programs can be useful for following infant and child mental health problems in your line of work?" The answers were scored on a 4-point scale ranging from 0 (never) to 3 (often).ResultsThe participants reported that they sometimes or often perceived internet-based interventions as useful for different infant and child mental health problems (scale of 0-3, all means>1.61). Usefulness of internet-based interventions was rated acceptable for sleep problems (mean 2.22), anxiety (mean 2.09), and social withdrawal and shyness (mean 2.07), whereas internet-based interventions were rated as less useful for psychiatric problems such as obsessive behaviors (mean 1.89), developmental disorders (mean 1.91), or trauma (mean 1.61). Further, there were a few but small differences in perceived usefulness between service leaders and practitioners (all effect sizes<0.32, all P<.02) and small-to-moderate differences among daycare centers, well-baby clinics, municipal child welfare services, and child and adolescent mental health clinics (all effect sizes<0.69, all P<.006).ConclusionsInternet-based interventions for different infant and child mental health problems within services such as daycare centers, well-baby clinics, municipal child welfare services, and child and adolescent mental health clinics are sometimes or often perceived as useful. These encouraging findings can support the continued exploration of internet-based mental health interventions as a way to improve parental support.
| S-EPMC7710450 | biostudies-literature