Internet Recruitment of a Diverse Population of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Nurses in a Study of Substance Use and Minority Stress

Introduction There is a lack of lesbian, bisexual and gay (LGB)-focused nursing research, in part, because the population is traditionally difficult to access. This article explores the effectiveness, benefits, and limitations of online recruitment of a distinct population of LGB-identified nurses in a study of substance use and minority stress. Methodology A sample of nurses who self-identified as LGB were recruited for an online survey using organic Facebook outreach. A $5 Amazon gift card was offered as an incentive. Facebook insights data and demographic data were analyzed. Results Within 96 hours, 394 participants had completed the 101-question online survey. The majority ( n = 269, 68.6%) reported accessing the survey through Facebook. Email ( n = 79, 20.2%) and word of mouth ( n = 44, 11.2%) also contributed to recruitment. Discussion The effectiveness of this Facebook recruitment protocol speaks to the importance of social media, survey incentives, and the “power of visibility” in recruitment of this population.

Barriers and facilitators to surveying asylum seekers: reflections of the fieldwork personnel

Background There is scarcity of representative data on the health and service needs of asylum seekers in Europe due to numerous practical and methodological challenges in planning and implementation of studies among this population group. Yet such data is acutely needed for development of health system response to meet the needs of asylum seekers. The aim of this study was to examine barriers and facilitators for conducting a population-based study among asylum seekers in Finland. Methods Semi-structured face-to-face individual interviews (n = 7) were carried out with the fieldwork personnel of the Asylum Seekers Health and Well-being Survey (TERTTU). Interviews contained four themes of which two will be presented in this abstract: the recruitment of the survey participants and carrying out the interviews and health examinations of the survey. Interviews of the fieldwork personnel were recorded and transcribed in verbatim. Data were analysed qualitatively using thematic analysis. Results Recruitment was substantially easier in reception centers than in private accommodations. Face-to-face and written information in participant's own language reduced misunderstandings and confidentiality concerns. Certain characteristics of the fieldwork personnel (mature age, female sex, and common cultural background) were facilitators for both recruitment and carrying out the survey appointments. Family and community members' perceptions influenced participation. Reception center personnel's attitudes influenced logistics of the recruitment process and the conduct of the survey. Incentives for participation were perceived both as facilitators and barriers. Conclusions It is feasible to obtain a high response rate among asylum seekers through investing in planning and dissemination of information about the study. Findings of this study can be benefited by other countries planning a survey among asylum seekers. Key messages Challenges in data collection among asylum seekers can be solved with careful planning and flexible fieldwork protocols. Sharing good practices about data collection among asylum seekers on a European level will inform researchers intending to conduct health surveys among asylum seekers and other forced migrants.

A randomized study of cash cards versus checks as clinician survey incentives

Background Evidence is needed regarding effective incentive strategies to increase clinician survey response rates. Within a larger clinical trial of population-based BRCA1/2 mutation screening, we conducted a randomized controlled study comparing the use of upfront cash cards requiring email activation versus checks as clinician survey incentives.Methods We mailed paper surveys to 500 primary care providers (PCPs) in New York, Boston, Los Angeles and Philadelphia who were nominated by study participants to disclose BRCA1/2 mutation results obtained through the study. The first 303 clinicians were randomized to receive the $50 incentive as a cash card (N = 155) or check (N = 148). We compared response rates by incentive type, adjusting for PCP characteristics and study site.Results In unadjusted analyses, PCPs who received checks versus cash cards were more likely to respond to the survey (54.1% versus 41.9%, p = 0.046); this remained true when we adjusted for provider characteristics (OR for checks 1.61, 95% CI 1.01, 2.59). No other clinician characteristics had a statistically significant association with response rates in adjusted analyses. When we included an interaction term for incentive type and city, the favorable impact of checks on response rates was evident only in Los Angeles and Philadelphia.Conclusions An upfront cash card incentive requiring email activation may be less effective in eliciting clinician responses than up-front checks. However, the benefit of checks for clinician response rates may depend on clinicians’ geographic location.

Assessing Health and Safety Concerns and Psychological Stressors among Agricultural Workers in the U.S. Midwest

Highlights Keywords: Farmers, Health and safety, Needs assessment, Stressors, Survey incentives.Chemicals, equipment/tools, and health outcomes were the greatest perceived health and safety concerns among surveyed agricultural workers. Keywords: Farmers, Health and safety, Needs assessment, Stressors, Survey incentives.Finances, climate/weather, and farm workload and management were the greatest perceived psychological stressors among surveyed agricultural workers. Keywords: Farmers, Health and safety, Needs assessment, Stressors, Survey incentives.Among mail survey respondents, response rates for prepaid monetary incentives were double that of promised monetary incentives. Keywords: Farmers, Health and safety, Needs assessment, Stressors, Survey incentives.There was considerable overlap in the pattern of survey responses across mail and in-person respondents. Keywords: Farmers, Health and safety, Needs assessment, Stressors, Survey incentives.In-person data collection facilitated access to underrepresented groups of agricultural workers. Keywords: Farmers, Health and safety, Needs assessment, Stressors, Survey incentives. Abstract. There is limited research exploring agricultural workers’ own perspectives on the relative importance of the hazards and stressors they experience. There is also a lack of evidence on whether this reporting differs by method of elicitation. Finally, very little research exists on how to improve mail survey response rates among agricultural workers. We examined health and safety concerns and psychological stressors among Midwestern farmers. We assessed whether these reports varied by survey mode (mail survey versus in-person survey). The efficacy of two different types of incentives to enhance mail survey response rates among agricultural workers was also investigated. In 2018, a needs assessment survey was developed and mailed to a random sample of farm owner-operators in Iowa, Ohio, and Missouri, with randomly assigned prepaid or promised monetary incentives. In-person surveys were conducted among farm owner-operators and hired workers at three regional farm shows in Iowa, Minnesota, and Nebraska. The mail survey response rates were compared by incentive type. Content analysis was used to generate themes associated with health and safety concerns and psychological stressors, which were then ranked by frequency counts. Chi-square tests were used to analyze variation in the distribution of these themes by survey mode. The response rate for the $1 prepaid incentive was double that of the $10 promised incentive. Content analysis identified 13 health and safety concerns and eight psychological stressors. Chemicals, equipment/tools, and health outcomes were the most frequently noted health and safety concerns. Finances, climate/weather, and farm workload and management were the most frequently noted psychological stressors. Although there was considerable overlap in survey responses across mail and in-person respondents, important differences by sample and survey mode characteristics were observed. The results can support a variety of stakeholders in prioritizing and developing interventions and educational resources to address health and safety concerns and psychological stressors among Midwestern farmers. Our findings also contribute to the evidence base on primary data collection methods for agricultural workers. Keywords: Farmers, Health and safety, Needs assessment, Stressors, Survey incentives.