TY - JOUR
T1 - Design and methodology of a mixed methods follow-up study to the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey
AU - Staveteig, Sarah
AU - Aryeetey, Richmond
AU - Anie-Ansah, Michael
AU - Ahiadeke, Clement
AU - Ortiz, Ladys
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 The Author(s).
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - Background: The intended meaning behind responses to standard questions posed in largescale health surveys are not always well understood. Systematic follow-up studies, particularly those which pose a few repeated questions followed by open-ended discussions, are well positioned to gauge stability and consistency of data and to shed light on the intended meaning behind survey responses. Such follow-up studies require extensive coordination and face challenges in protecting respondent confidentiality during the process of recontacting and reinterviewing participants. Objectives: We describe practical field strategies for undertaking a mixed methods follow-up study during a large-scale health survey. Methods: The study was designed as a mixed methods follow-up study embedded within the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS). The study was implemented in 13 clusters. Android tablets were used to import reference data from the parent survey and to administer the questionnaire, which asked a mixture of closed- and open-ended questions on reproductive intentions, decision-making, and family planning. Results: Despite a number of obstacles related to recontacting respondents and concern about respondent fatigue, over 92 percent of the selected sub-sample were successfully recontacted and reinterviewed; all consented to audio recording. A confidential linkage between GDHS data, follow-up tablet data, and audio transcripts was successfully created for the purpose of analysis. Conclusions: We summarize the challenges in follow-up study design, including ethical considerations, sample size, auditing, filtering, successful use of tablets, and share lessons learned for future such follow-up surveys.
AB - Background: The intended meaning behind responses to standard questions posed in largescale health surveys are not always well understood. Systematic follow-up studies, particularly those which pose a few repeated questions followed by open-ended discussions, are well positioned to gauge stability and consistency of data and to shed light on the intended meaning behind survey responses. Such follow-up studies require extensive coordination and face challenges in protecting respondent confidentiality during the process of recontacting and reinterviewing participants. Objectives: We describe practical field strategies for undertaking a mixed methods follow-up study during a large-scale health survey. Methods: The study was designed as a mixed methods follow-up study embedded within the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS). The study was implemented in 13 clusters. Android tablets were used to import reference data from the parent survey and to administer the questionnaire, which asked a mixture of closed- and open-ended questions on reproductive intentions, decision-making, and family planning. Results: Despite a number of obstacles related to recontacting respondents and concern about respondent fatigue, over 92 percent of the selected sub-sample were successfully recontacted and reinterviewed; all consented to audio recording. A confidential linkage between GDHS data, follow-up tablet data, and audio transcripts was successfully created for the purpose of analysis. Conclusions: We summarize the challenges in follow-up study design, including ethical considerations, sample size, auditing, filtering, successful use of tablets, and share lessons learned for future such follow-up surveys.
KW - Computerassisted personal interviewing
KW - Demographic and Health Surveys
KW - Family planning
KW - Follow-up survey
KW - Mixed methods
KW - Unmet need
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85015208767&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/16549716.2017.1274072
DO - 10.1080/16549716.2017.1274072
M3 - Article
C2 - 28145817
AN - SCOPUS:85015208767
SN - 1654-9880
VL - 10
JO - Global Health Action
JF - Global Health Action
IS - 1
M1 - 1274072
ER -