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Published on: January 12, 2018
Lessons learned: drivers of non-response in a large population-based cohort study of Black women
Jeuneviette E Bontemps-Jones1, Lauren E McCullough2,3, Elizabeth G Kirkland2
1American Cancer Society, Department of Population Science, Atlanta, GA, USA. jeuneviette.bontemps-jones@cancer.org.
Purpose:
To identify barriers and facilitators for survey completion in the VOICES of Black Women (VOICES) study and to determine which communication methods encouraged survey completion.
Methods:
In 2023, the American Cancer Society piloted VOICES, an online study to better understand cancer and other health conditions among Black women. Approximately 2/3 of the 243 women who registered and consented did not complete the baseline survey (n = 140). In 2024, we sequentially employed four methods of communication to contact non-responders: email, mailed postcard, text message, and phone. At each touchpoint, we requested participants answer three questions about why they had not completed the survey.
Results:
Thirty women (22%) completed the non-responder survey. Time was the most common issue for non-completion (n = 18). Some participants indicated that adjustments to communication, survey design, and survey navigation could facilitate completion. Emailing produced the highest number of responses to the non-responder survey (15/138; 11%) and subsequent baseline survey completion (5/15, 33%).
Conclusion:
Despite a lack of time among other barriers, VOICES non-responders were willing to complete the baseline survey and provide feedback on the survey process.
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