Web-based versus traditional paper questionnaires: a mixed-mode survey with a Nordic perspective

Area of Science:

• Epidemiology
• Public Health
• Survey Methodology

Background:

• Declining survey response rates necessitate exploring alternative data collection methods.
• The increasing prevalence of internet use suggests web-based questionnaires as a viable option for future health surveys.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare response rates across four data collection modes for a parent population survey.
• To evaluate the impact of a nonmonetary incentive on survey participation.

Main Methods:

• A randomized sample of 3148 Danish parents participated in the NordChild 2011 survey.
• Four groups received different data collection methods: paper only, paper/web, web, and web with a tablet incentive.
• Response rates were analyzed using chi-square tests and odds ratios.

Main Results:

• The paper-only questionnaire achieved the highest response rate (56.2%).
• Web-based modes (paper/web, web, web/tablet) showed comparable response rates (53.7%, 53.4%, 53.3%).
• Overall NordChild response rates declined significantly from 1984 and 1996 to 2011 across all participating Nordic countries.

Conclusions:

• Web-based questionnaires can substitute paper versions with minimal impact on response rates and reduced costs.
• Nonmonetary incentives showed a limited, measurable effect on response rates within web-based modes before the first reminder.
• Future population surveys should leverage electronic device trends and internet access patterns to enhance participation.