[Pilot testing of an internet based pregnancy planning study "Snart-gravid.dk"]

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Epidemiology
• Digital Health

Background:

• Pilot studies are crucial for new research but often lack detailed reporting.
• Internet-based methods offer novel approaches for participant recruitment and data collection in health research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To extensively report on a pilot study employing internet-based strategies for a prospective cohort study of women planning pregnancy.
• To assess the feasibility, recruitment rates, data completeness, and validity of online data collection methods.

Main Methods:

• Prospective cohort study design utilizing internet for recruitment and data collection.
• Randomized comparison of long vs. short baseline questionnaires to assess data completeness and validity.
• Comparison of self-reported data with registry-based data.

Main Results:

• Enrolled 2288 participants against a target of 2500 within 12 months, achieving an 82% participation rate.
• Found high correlations (0.96) between self-reported and registry-based data, indicating strong data validity.
• No significant differences in participation rates or data completeness were observed between short and long questionnaire versions.

Conclusions:

• Internet-based recruitment and data collection are promising and effective for large-scale prospective cohort studies.
• The methods employed in this pilot study support the feasibility and validity of online approaches in reproductive health research.
• The findings provide a strong foundation for launching the full prospective cohort study using these validated online strategies.