Training and field methods in the WorldSAFE collaboration to study family violence.
BACKGROUND
This paper describes the collaborative efforts of research teams from medical schools in India, Chile, Egypt, the Philippines, Brazil, and the United States to develop and implement a core protocol for household surveys on family violence and to conduct standardized training for field workers. Our objectives are to share successes and difficulties encountered in training and field work and to offer recommendations for similar undertakings.


METHODS
Study methods, developed by a multidisciplinary group of international investigators, were documented in a procedures manual. On-site standardized training was conducted and field workers were monitored for adherence to protocol. Special attention was given to safety and ethical issues.


RESULTS
Overall, the training protocol and field methods were successful with relatively few problems encountered. Study participants were receptive to the interview and cooperated in safety procedures. The most common problem in the field was interruptions of the interview, mostly by children. Community advisory boards were actively involved in some of the sites, providing guidance on the safety and logistical aspects of the study, facilitating access to study communities, and providing community service information that could be shared with all study participants.


CONCLUSIONS
WorldSAFE successes were attributed to rigorous standardized training and monitoring of field work; meticulous protocol implementation; unflagging attention to the ethical issues and to safeguarding study participants, field workers, and data; and openness and trust developed among the collaborators during the extended developmental phase.
Hunter
Wanda M
WM
Injury Prevention Research Center, Department of Social Medicine University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA. whunter@med.unc.edu
Sadowski
Laura S
LS
Hassan
Fatma
F
Jain
Dipty
D
De Paula
Cristiane S
CS
Vizcarra
Beatriz
B
Amarillo
Maria Lourdes
ML
D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D017579:Domestic Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004534:Egypt / Q000453:epidemiology; D015340:Epidemiologic Research Design; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007391:International Cooperation; D007407:Interviews as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D018579:Patient Selection; D010560:Personnel Selection; D010679:Philippines / Q000453:epidemiology