Use of Airtime Timing to Improve Interactive Voice Response Surveys in Bangladesh and Uganda

• ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04513236
• Recruitment Status: Completed
• First Posted: August 14, 2020
• Last Update Posted: August 14, 2020
• Sponsor: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
• Collaborators: Makerere University; Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research
• Information provided by (Responsible Party): Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Study Description

Brief Summary:

This study evaluates the effect of two different airtime incentive timings on interactive voice response (IVR) survey cooperation, response, refusal and contact rates, as compared to a control group, in Bangladesh and Uganda.

Condition or disease	Intervention/treatment	Phase
Surveys and Questionnaires; Noncommunicable Diseases	Other: Pre-survey incentive; Other: Post-survey incentive	Not Applicable

Detailed Description:

Using random digit dialing sampling techniques, the study randomized RDD participants to one of three airtime incentive timings, some of all of that incentive being contingent on their completing the noncommunicable disease risk factor survey. This mobile phone survey was sent as an interactive voice response (IVR). In IVR surveys, participants use their touch tone key pad to answer pre-recorded questions. (i.e. If you are male, press 1; if you are female, press 2). This study was conducted in both Bangladesh and Uganda.

Study Design

• Study Type: Interventional (Clinical Trial)
• Actual Enrollment: 2287 participants
• Allocation: Randomized
• Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
• Intervention Model Description: Participants were randomized to one of three airtime incentive timings: 1) no incentive; 2) 0.1X incentive received before the IVR noncommunicable disease risk factor survey is sent, followed by 1X incentive upon completing the survey; or 3) 1X incentive received upon completing the survey.
• Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
• Primary Purpose: Other
• Official Title: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Varying Airtime Incentive Timing to Improve Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Survey Performance in Bangladesh and Uganda
• Actual Study Start Date: March 26, 2017
• Actual Primary Completion Date: November 1, 2017
• Actual Study Completion Date: November 1, 2017

Arms and Interventions

Arm	Intervention/treatment
No Intervention: Control; No Airtime Incentive was given for completing the survey
Experimental: Pre-survey incentive; 0.1X incentive before the survey, 1X afterwards	Other: Pre-survey incentive; An incentive of is given in the form of airtime to motivate participants to complete the survey. Participants were sent 0.1X before the were sent a mobile phone survey and an additional 1X after completing the survey.
Experimental: Post-survey incentive; 1X incentive after the survey	Other: Post-survey incentive; An incentive in the form of airtime to motivate participants to complete the survey. Participants were given Bangladeshi Taka or Ugandan Shillings worth of certain airtime for completing the survey.

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures :

1. Cooperation Rate #1 [ Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of one month ]
   As defined by American Association for Public Opinion Research, cooperation rate is defined as I/(I+P+R) where I is complete interviews, P is partial interviews, and R is refusals and breakoffs.
2. Response Rate #4 [ Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of one month ]
   As defined by American Association for Public Opinion Research, response rate is defined as (I+P)/(I+P+R+eU) where I is complete interviews, P is partial interviews, R is refusals and breakoffs, and eU is the estimated eligible proportion of unknowns

Secondary Outcome Measures :

1. Refusal Rate #2 [ Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of one month ]
   As defined by American Association for Public Opinion Research, refusal rate is defined as (R)/(I+P+R+eU) where R is refusals and breakoffs, I is complete interviews, P is partial interviews, and eU is the estimated eligible proportion of unknowns
2. Contact Rate #2 [ Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of one month ]
   As defined by American Association for Public Opinion Research, contact rate is defined as (I+P+R)/(I+P+R+eU) where I is complete interviews, P is partial interviews, R is refusals and breakoffs, and eU is the estimated eligible proportion of unknowns

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Sexes Eligible for Study: All
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Access to a mobile phone
• Greater or equal to 18 years of age
• In Bangladesh, conversant in either English or Bangla language. In Uganda, conversant in either Luo, Luganda, Runyakitara, or English languages.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Less than 18 years of age

Contacts and Locations

Locations

Bangladesh

Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research

Dhaka, Bangladesh

Uganda

Makerere University School of Public Health

Kampala, Uganda

Sponsors and Collaborators

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Makerere University

Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research

Investigators

• Principal Investigator: Adnan A Hyder, PhD, MBBS; Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
• Principal Investigator: George W. Pariyo, PhD; Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health

More Information

Publications:

Gibson DG, Pariyo GW, Wosu AC, Greenleaf AR, Ali J, Ahmed S, Labrique AB, Islam K, Masanja H, Rutebemberwa E, Hyder AA. Evaluation of Mechanisms to Improve Performance of Mobile Phone Surveys in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Research Protocol. JMIR Res Protoc. 2017 May 5;6(5):e81. doi: 10.2196/resprot.7534.

Gibson DG, Pereira A, Farrenkopf BA, Labrique AB, Pariyo GW, Hyder AA. Mobile Phone Surveys for Collecting Population-Level Estimates in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Literature Review. J Med Internet Res. 2017 May 5;19(5):e139. doi: 10.2196/jmir.7428. Review.

Gibson DG, Farrenkopf BA, Pereira A, Labrique AB, Pariyo GW. The Development of an Interactive Voice Response Survey for Noncommunicable Disease Risk Factor Estimation: Technical Assessment and Cognitive Testing. J Med Internet Res. 2017 May 5;19(5):e112. doi: 10.2196/jmir.7340.

Hyder AA, Wosu AC, Gibson DG, Labrique AB, Ali J, Pariyo GW. Noncommunicable Disease Risk Factors and Mobile Phones: A Proposed Research Agenda. J Med Internet Res. 2017 May 5;19(5):e133. doi: 10.2196/jmir.7246.

• Responsible Party: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
• ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04513236
• Other Study ID Numbers: 00007318-4
• First Posted: August 14, 2020
• Last Update Posted: August 14, 2020
• Last Verified: August 2020

Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement:

• Plan to Share IPD: No

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product: No

Keywords provided by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health:

mobile phone surveys; interactive voice response; incentive

Additional relevant MeSH terms:

Noncommunicable Diseases; Disease Attributes; Pathologic Processes