scholarly journals May telephone surveys provide reliable public health surveillance data for municipalities? Mode effects differ between categories of questions. The HUNT Study, Norway

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (1-2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mattias Tagseth ◽  
Erik R. Sund ◽  
Göran T.A. Hallman ◽  
Jostein Holmen ◽  
Kyrre Kvistad ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Telephone Survey ◽  
Time Lag ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Study ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Mode Effects ◽  
Telephone Interviews

Background: Availability of data on health and its determinants at the local area level is a prerequisite for developing interventions and public health campaigns locally. Collecting self-reported data by means of telephone interviews may rapidly provide relevant data. The reliability of such data may be questioned. In this study, we sought to compare exact similar questions addressed by a recent telephone survey with a previous large scale and very comprehensive population health survey (The Nord-Trøndelag Health Study 2006-08 – HUNT3), conducted a few years earlier in the same geographical region. This was done in order to examine the reliability of telephone interviews as a method to provide data on health and determinants to enable municipal authorities to get a sufficient overview.Methods: One rural and one urban municipality covered by HUNT3 using paper questionnaires were resurveyed through computer assisted telephone interviews. The weighted results for 34 dichotomized variables were compared using chi square tests.Results: The comparison of results between the rural and the urban samples and HUNT3 involved 68 chi square tests, 25 of which (38%) displayed significant differences. The ability of the telephone survey to replicate the results from HUNT3 was only moderate, but with differences between survey themes. Comparability was poor for adverse life events and mental health factors, fair for behavioural and risk factors, and skewed for general health and life satisfaction. The replication was good for reports on the less sensitive and subjective theme of cultural participation.Conclusion: The comparability of the data differed between themes. The differences may be ascribed to mode effects and to some extent the time lag between the surveys. Because replicability on issues that may be more embarrassing or stressful to recall appears to be poorer, and the more subjective self-assessments of health and well-being appear skewed, it is reasonable to conclude that there is an interviewer effect in the telephone survey. The use of a questionnaire through mail or web to monitor public health in municipalities should be considered as an alternative.

scholarly journals Development of a web-platform for dynamic monitoring of population health in Geneva: Specchio project

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
H Baysson ◽  
S Joost ◽  
H Attar Cohen ◽  
I Guessous ◽  
S Stringhini
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Occupational Exposures ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Dynamic Monitoring ◽  
Health Study ◽  
Medical File ◽  
Directorate General ◽  
Web Platform

Abstract Background In order to provide efficient public health decisions making, it is crucial to obtain reliable and recent data on the state of health of the population. For that purpose, a web-platform for the dynamic monitoring of the health status and well-being of the population is being developed in the Geneva canton. Methods Using a dedicated website, recruitment will be carried out over 5 years so as to enroll up to 20 000 volunteers, resident in Geneva and aged ≥ 18 years, followed-up for at least 10 years. Once connected to the website, participants will fill a general self-administered questionnaire on their socio-demographic and lifestyle characteristics, anthropometry, health status, physical activity and diet. Environmental, behavioral and occupational exposures will also be evaluated via more specific questionnaires. Current addresses of residence will be geocoded and linked to geographical databases to passively gather information on noise, air pollution, green areas, and other exposures. Surveillance of health events will be implemented via yearly self-administered on line questionnaires and potentially via passive linkage to medical databases (medical file) and health registries with the participants' consent. For a subsample of volunteers, biochemical samples and biomarkers will be collected. Results The pilot study shows that the project is feasible, potentially cost-effective but requires innovative methodologies for ensuring long term follow-up. Different communication strategies used for recruitment and long-term participation need to be implemented ensuring trust from participants, different levels of health literacy and the need of justice. Conclusions Specchio is a new project aimed at setting up a digital longitudinal health study in Geneva. Challenges concerns the determinants of participation, recruitment and attrition, quality of data and ethics. Long-term funding by the Directorate General of Health Geneva is currently under evaluation. Key messages This digital longitudinal health study will enable dynamic monitoring of the health status and well-being of Geneva residents and will enable efficient public health decision making. Specchio is a new project funded by the Directorate General of Health Geneva.

scholarly journals Addressing guideline and policy changes during pragmatic clinical trials

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 431-437 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lesley H Curtis ◽  
Laura M Dember ◽  
Miguel A Vazquez ◽  
David Murray ◽  
Lynn DeBar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Clinical Equipoise ◽  
Opioid Use ◽  
Pragmatic Clinical Trials ◽  
The Face ◽  
Stage Renal Disease ◽  
End Stage

While conducting a set of large-scale multi-site pragmatic clinical trials involving high-impact public health issues such as end-stage renal disease, opioid use, and colorectal cancer, there were substantial changes to both policies and guidelines relevant to the trials. These external changes gave rise to unexpected challenges for the trials, including decisions regarding how to respond to new clinical practice guidelines, increased difficulty in implementing trial interventions, achieving separation between treatment groups, and differential responses across sites. In this article, we describe these challenges and the approaches used to address them. When deliberating appropriate action in the face of external changes during a pragmatic clinical trial, we recommend considering the well-being of the participants, clinical equipoise, and the strength and quality of the evidence associated with the change; involving those charged with data and safety monitoring; and where possible, planning for potential external changes as the trial is being designed. Any solution must balance the primary obligation to protect the well-being of participants with the secondary obligation to protect the integrity of the trial in order to gain meaningful answers to important public health questions.

scholarly journals Silver Linings Reported by Australians Experiencing Public Health Restrictions during the First Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Report

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (21) ◽  
pp. 11406
Author(s):  
Narelle Campbell ◽  
Sandra C. Thompson ◽  
Anna Tynan ◽  
Louise Townsin ◽  
Lauren A. Booker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Rapid Identification ◽  
National Study ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Mental Well Being

This national study investigated the positives reported by residents experiencing the large-scale public health measures instituted in Australia to manage the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Most Australians had not previously experienced the traditional public health measures used (social distancing, hand hygiene and restriction of movement) and which could potentially impact negatively on mental well-being. The research design included qualitative semi-structured phone interviews where participants described their early pandemic experiences. Data analysis used a rapid identification of themes technique, well-suited to large-scale qualitative research. The ninety participants (mean age 48 years; 70 women) were distributed nationally. Analysis revealed five themes linked with mental well-being and the concept of silver linings: safety and security, gratitude and appreciation, social cohesion and connections, and opportunities to reset priorities and resilience. Participants demonstrated support for the public health measures and evidence of individual and community resilience. They were cognisant of positives despite personal curtailment and negative impacts of public health directives. Stories of hope, strength, and acceptance, innovative connections with others and focusing on priorities and opportunities within the hardship were important strategies that others could use in managing adversity.

scholarly journals Student Perception of Interest in Learning and its Impact on Online Learning of Public Health Study Program, University of Muhammadiyah Jakarta

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 687-702
Author(s):  
Indah Nofita ◽  
Karimah Azzahra ◽  
Lentera Mahameru Kaffah ◽  
Nabilah Nur Haenisa ◽  
Munaya Fauziah
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Parental Support ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Learning System ◽  
Health Study ◽  
Motivation To Learn ◽  
Physical Point ◽  
The Impact

In Indonesia, a large-scale social restriction policy or commonly known as PSBB has been implemented to further suppress the spread of this virus in Indonesia. The education sector is changing due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The government through the Letter of the Minister of Education and Culture Number 36962 / MPK.A / HK / 2020 concerning Online Learning and Working from Home to Prevent the Spread of Covid-19 as an effort to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The Learning System has changed from face-to-face to online where this research was conducted at the Faculty of Public Health, the University of Muhammadiyah Jakarta in 2021. The objective of this study was to determine student perceptions regarding online learning during the Covid-19 period. Descriptive research method design with a qualitative approach with phenomenological methods. The sample in this study was four (4) students consisting of one second semester, one fourth semester, and two sixth semesters. This study wants to explore the phenomena experienced by students in online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The variables studied include behavior, perception, motivation, action and some of them are grouped into learning impacts, physical linkages, infrastructure, and holistic Islamic practices experienced by students in online learning. The result from The impact of learning is that students feel less interested in learning, less effective, and less understanding. From a physical point of view, eye fatigue is felt, from facilities and infrastructure students feel signal barriers when doing online learning from parental support to support online learning and from Islamic practice in the learning process carried out by several lecturers, in terms of decreased motivation to learn students experience decreased motivation to learn, in terms of student satisfaction, they are not satisfied and want offline learning.

scholarly journals Conducting Household Surveys on Reproductive Health in Urban Settings: Lessons From Karachi, Pakistan

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mir Baz Khan ◽  
Sidrah Nausheen ◽  
Imtiaz Hussain ◽  
Kristy Hackett ◽  
Zahra Kaneez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Health ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Health Study ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Household Surveys ◽  
Technical Problems

Abstract Background: Data collection is the most critical stage in any population health study and correctly implementing fieldwork enhances the quality of collected information. However, even the most carefully planned large-scale household surveys can encounter many context-specific issues. This paper reflected on our research team’s recent experiences of conducting surveys for a quasi-experimental evaluation of a reproductive health program in urban areas of Karachi, Pakistan. Methods: The study followed a three-stage random sampling design. Result: This paper has described the issues that were encountered around technical problems related to geographical information system (GIS) usage and computer assisted personal interviews (CAPI), household listing, interviewing respondents on sensitive topics and their expectations, and other field related concerns such as ensuring privacy etc. during the survey.Conclusion: The papers has also underscored on lessons learned from this process and presented some potential solutions for conducting future household surveys in similar urban environments.

Engaging Europe’s employees: a complex problem with a simple solution

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pa Sinyan ◽  
Marco Nink
Keyword(s):  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Complex Problem ◽  
The State ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Telephone Interviews ◽  
State Of Affairs ◽  
Workplace Cultures

Purpose This paper aims to establish the state of employee engagement levels in Europe and offer insights into the reasons behind the current state of affairs. It proposes that management matters most out of all the factors influencing employee engagement, and that European organisations should therefore invest in equipping their leadership teams to provide employees with a positive experience of the workplace. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses data from the Gallup World Poll, which Gallup has used to conduct surveys of the world’s adult population, using randomly selected samples, since 2005. Covering more than 160 countries since its inception, the survey was conducted via computer-assisted telephone interviews in 2020 to account for COVID-compliant safety measures. Findings This paper provides insights into the engagement levels of European employees, which remained dismally low in 2020 as it has for the last decade. By far, the biggest influence on the state of employee engagement is leadership, which will require improvement if European organisations are to improve their employee engagement levels. Originality/value This paper fulfils the need for organisations to gain a better understanding of how to improve their employee engagement levels in the wake of a significant global crisis. Inspiring workplace cultures that maximise the well-being of every employee can help to reverse the decline of economic dynamism across the globe.

scholarly journals Perceptions of Covid-19 lockdowns and related public health measures in Austria: a longitudinal online survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Agata Łaszewska ◽  
Timea Helter ◽  
Judit Simon
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Extended Duration ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Second Wave

Abstract Background Introducing national lockdown has been effective in containing Covid-19. However, several studies indicated negative impacts of lockdowns on the well-being and mental health of many people. In Austria, the first Covid-19-related lockdown was introduced on 16 March 2020 with most restrictions being lifted 1 month later. Seven months after that, in November 2020, the second full lockdown was implemented. The aim of this study was to compare the perceptions and experiences of the general population related to the first and second Covid-19 lockdowns in Austria. Methods Two waves of an online survey were conducted in May and December 2020 asking respondents about their concerns related to the Covid-19 illness, personal experiences of the lockdowns, perceptions of and compliance with imposed public health measures, and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on different aspects of life during the two lockdowns. Descriptive statistics including frequency analysis were used to compare respondents’ answers collected in the two waves of the survey. T-test and chi-square tests were used to test differences between the two lockdowns. Results Five hundred sixty participants were included in the first wave and a sub-sample of 134 participants in the second wave of data collection. During the second lockdown, study respondents were more concerned about their family members contracting Covid-19 when compared with the first lockdown. Compliance with public health measures was overall lower during the second lockdown, although it varied according to the type of the measure. Closure of schools was seen as the least essential restriction during the second lockdown, while wearing masks gained additional approval between the first and the second lockdown. Larger negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on friendships, leisure activities, education and community were reported during the second lockdown. Conclusions The study found that the extended duration of the pandemic and recurring lockdowns restricting freedom of movement and social contacts appear to have caused significant disruptions to many areas of life. Furthermore, declining adherence to most public health measures over time raises a question about the effectiveness of future lockdown measures.

scholarly journals Challenges of Virtual RDS for Recruitment of Sexual Minority Women for a Behavioral Health Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deirdre Middleton ◽  
Laurie A Drabble ◽  
Deborah Krug ◽  
Katherine J Karriker-Jaffe ◽  
Amy A Mericle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Minority ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Minority Women ◽  
Health Study ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Sexual Minority Women ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Telephone Interviews ◽  
Survey Length

Abstract Respondent-driven sampling (RDS) is an approach commonly used to recruit nonprobability samples of rare and hard-to-find populations. The purpose of this study was to explore the utility of phone- and web-based RDS methodology to sample sexual minority women (SMW) for participation in a telephone survey. Key features included (i) utilizing a national probability survey sample to select seeds; (ii) web-based recruitment with emailed coupons; and (iii) virtual processes for orienting, screening, and scheduling potential participants for computer-assisted telephone interviews. Rather than resulting in a large diverse sample of SMW, only a small group of randomly selected women completed the survey and agreed to recruit their peers, and very few women recruited even one participant. Only seeds from the most recent of two waves of the probability study generated new SMW recruits. Three RDS attempts to recruit SMW over several years and findings from brief qualitative interviews revealed four key challenges to successful phone- and web-based RDS with this population. First, population-based sampling precludes sampling based on participant characteristics that are often used in RDS. Second, methods that distance prospective participants from the research team may impede development of relationships, investment in the study, and motivation to participate. Third, recruitment for telephone surveys may be impeded by multiple burdens on seeds and recruits (e.g., survey length, understanding the study and RDS process). Finally, many seeds from a population-based sample may be needed, which is not generally feasible when working with a limited pool of potential seeds. This method may yield short recruitment chains, which would not meet key RDS assumptions for approximation of a probability sample. In conclusion, potential challenges to using RDS in studies with SMW, particularly those using virtual approaches, should be considered.

scholarly journals Exploring the beliefs and perceptions of spending time in nature among U.S. youth

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Astrid N. Zamora ◽  
Marika E. Waselewski ◽  
Abby J. Frank ◽  
Jack R. Nawrocki ◽  
Aspen R. Hanson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Public Health Challenge ◽  
Qualitative Responses ◽  
Mental And Physical Health ◽  
Hispanic White

Abstract Purpose The prevalence of poor mental health continues to rise among youth; however, large-scale interventions to improve mental and physical health remain a public health challenge. Time spent in nature is associated with improved health among youth. This study aimed to assess youth experiences with nature and the self-perceived impact on their mental and physical health among a nationwide sample of US youth. Methods In September 2020, five open-ended questions that aimed to assess perceptions regarding nature were posed to 1174 MyVoice youth, aged 14–24 years. Qualitative responses were analyzed using thematic analysis, and data were summarized using descriptive statistics. Results The mean (SD) age of the 994 respondents (RR = 84.7%) was 18.9 (2.7) years; 47.4% were female, and 57.4% Non-Hispanic White. Among youth, many felt that spending time in nature positively impacted their mental health, with 51.6% mentioning that it made them “feel calm when I am out in nature”; 22.1% said that it relieved stress or “reduces my anxiety,” and 17.1% felt that being in nature positively impacted their physical health and “makes me feel more active and in shape.” However, 7.0% said it negatively impacted their health, such as “It makes me feel isolated.” Most youth (87.8%) want to spend more time in nature, with 22% mentioning barriers (i.e., busy schedules, built environment, and COVID-19) impeding them from doing so. Conclusions Youth in our sample generally report feeling physically and mentally better when spending time in nature and want to spend more time in nature. Public health policies and practices that eliminate barriers and actively support time spent outside may be a feasible and acceptable practice to promote overall well-being among youth.

Telephone Survey Respondents’ Reactions to Questions Regarding Interpersonal Violence

2006 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 445-459 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michele C. Black ◽  
Marcie-Jo Kresnow ◽  
Thomas R. Simon ◽  
Ileana Arias ◽  
Gene Shelley
Keyword(s):  
Interpersonal Violence ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Telephone Interview ◽  
Telephone Survey ◽  
Violent Victimization ◽  
Telephone Surveys ◽  
Violence Victimization ◽  
Telephone Interviews ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Victimization History

Concerns have been raised regarding the appropriateness of asking about violence victimization in telephone interviews and whether asking such questions increases respondents’ distress or risk for harm. However, no large-scale studies have evaluated the impact of asking such questions during a telephone interview. This study explored respondents’ reactions to questions regarding violence in two large recently completed telephone surveys. After respondents were asked about violence, they were asked if they thought surveys should ask such questions and whether they felt upset or afraid because of the questions. In both surveys, the majority of respondents (regardless of their victimization history) were willing to answer questions about violence and were not upset or afraid because of the questions. More than 92% of respondents thought such questions should be asked. These results challenge commonly held beliefs and assumptions and provide some assurance to those concerned with the ethical collection of data on violent victimization.

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