Use of an online questionnaire for follow-up of young female students recruited to a randomised controlled trial of chlamydia screening.
BACKGROUND
Randomised controlled trials often rely on questionnaires for follow-up.


OBJECTIVE
To compare response rates to an online and postal 12-month follow-up questionnaire on sexual health in female students who took part in a chlamydia screening trial.


METHODS
1329 sexually active female students aged 16-27 were recruited from 12 universities and further education (FE) colleges. The 299 participants recruited between September 2004 and February 2005 were sent a postal questionnaire after 12 months. The 1030 participants recruited between March and December 2005 were contacted by email after 12 months and given a weblink to an online questionnaire.


RESULTS
The response rates to the 12-month questionnaire in the online and postal groups were 51% and 29% 4 weeks after follow-up commenced (RR 1.78 (1.47 to 2.14)) and 72% and 59% after 3 months. After adjusting for ethnicity, smoking, type of educational institution (university or FE college) and subject studied (health-related or not), the RR at 4 weeks was 1.88 (1.42 to 2.50). However, a prior telephone call to confirm contact details increased the response rate at 3 months in the postal group. In the online group, university students, those of white ethnicity and non-smokers had higher response rates at 4 weeks.


CONCLUSIONS
In this young student population, an online questionnaire was quicker, cheaper and more efficient than a postal questionnaire. However, some FE college students did not have an email address. Telephone prompts and postal questionnaires were essential in obtaining a good response rate.
Atherton
Helen
H
Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial, College London, Charing Cross Campus, Reynolds Building, St Dunstans Road, London W6 8RP, UK. helen.atherton07@imperial.ac.uk
Oakeshott
Pippa
P
Aghaizu
Adamma
A
Hay
Phillip
P
Kerry
Sally
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004496:Education, Continuing; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D018579:Patient Selection; D000292:Pelvic Inflammatory Disease / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011177:Postal Service / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult