Use your browser's BACK button to return to your page of origin.
Recruitment and retention of an online sample for an HIV
prevention intervention targeting men who have sex with men: the Smart
Sex Quest Project.
AIDS Care 2004;16(8):931-943.
Bull SS, Lloyd L, Rietmeijer C, McFarlane M.
Abstract
There is an increasing interest in developing interventions for HIV and STD
prevention that can be delivered on the Internet. However, we know little
about what it takes to identify, recruit and retain participants in interventions
so that we can test their efficacy and effectiveness. Objectives for this
investigation were to evaluate rates of recruitment and retention in an Internet-based
randomized controlled trial (RCT) to increase sexually transmitted disease
(STD) prevention among men who have sex with men (MSM). The Smart Sex Quest
study was a RCT conducted online. Eligible participants were MSM, at least
18 years old and US residents. After completing a baseline risk assessment,
participants were exposed to tailored or control messages and asked to return
to the site at three months for a follow-up interview. From January 2002
through June 2003, 3,625 persons logged on as potential study participants;
of these, 563 were not eligible, while 1,286 left the site without filling
out a baseline survey. Complete baseline data were available for 1,776 participants,
all of whom were eligible to complete a follow-up. Complete follow-up data
were available for 270 (15.2%) participants. While the Internet is a valuable
tool for conducting research, conducting this longitudinal research online
was severely affected by a loss to follow-up, and analyzing outcome data
was hampered by significant differences between those who did and did not
complete the study. Alternate ways to recruit for and evaluate online trials
must be considered.
.