Chocolate frogs do not increase completion of parent survey: Randomised study. (13th June 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Price, Anna MH; Coates, Cathy; Symeonides, Christos; Hiscock, Harriet; Smith, Libby; York, Elissa; Hennel, Sabine
• Is Part Of: Journal of paediatrics and child health. Volume 50:Number 11(2014:Nov.)
• Page Start: 866
• Page End: 868
• Publication Date: 2014-06-13
• Subjects: Children -- Health and hygiene -- Periodicals; Pediatrics -- Periodicals; 618.92
• DOI: 10.1111/jpc.12606
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1034-4810

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>Four months into a year‐long, national survey assessing parents' experiences of a child's diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, our response fraction was only 23%. We aimed to determine whether including a chocolate incentive in the postal survey would increase the response fraction. Families enrolled between 15 March and 25 May 2012 were randomised to receive a chocolate frog versus no chocolate frog. Both groups received a written reminder and replacement survey 2 weeks after the survey was posted and up to two telephone reminders thereafter. We analysed the effect of the incentive using χ<sup>2</sup> tests for the categorical response variable and <italic>t</italic>‐tests for the continuous reminder and length of response variables at the end of (i) randomisation and (ii) the study (1 November 2012). A total of 137 families were randomised in the 6‐week period. Parents who received an incentive were more likely to return a completed survey in the 6 weeks than those who did not (21% vs. 6%, <italic>P</italic> = 0.009). This effect faded by the end of the study (53% vs. 42%, <italic>P</italic> = 0.4). There were no differences between groups at either follow‐up in the number of reminders that parents received or the number of days it took parents to return the survey. Including a chocolate‐based incentive does not significantly increase response rate in a postal survey over and above standard reminder techniques like posting follow‐up survey packs or phoning families.</p> </abstract>