@Article{info:doi/10.2196/jmir.5745,
author="Leach, Liana S
and Butterworth, Peter
and Poyser, Carmel
and Batterham, Philip J
and Farrer, Louise M",
title="Online Recruitment: Feasibility, Cost, and Representativeness in a Study of Postpartum Women",
journal="J Med Internet Res",
year="2017",
month="Mar",
day="08",
volume="19",
number="3",
pages="e61",
keywords="online; Internet; recruitment; feasibility; representativeness; postpartum",
abstract="Background: Online recruitment is feasible, low-cost, and can provide high-quality epidemiological data. However, little is known about the feasibility of recruiting postpartum women online, or sample representativeness. Objective: The current study investigates the feasibility of recruiting a population of postpartum women online for health research and examines sample representativeness. Methods: Two samples of postpartum women were compared: those recruited online as participants in a brief survey of new mothers (n=1083) and those recruited face-to-face as part of a nationally representative study (n=579). Sociodemographic, general health, and mental health characteristics were compared between the two samples. Results: Obtaining a sample of postpartum women online for health research was highly efficient and low-cost. The online sample over-represented those who were younger (aged 25-29 years), were in a de facto relationship, had higher levels of education, spoke only English at home, and were first-time mothers. Members of the online sample were significantly more likely to have poor self-rated health and poor mental health than the nationally representative sample. Health differences remained after adjusting for sociodemographic differences. Conclusions: Potential exists for feasible and low-cost e-epidemiological research with postpartum populations; however, researchers should consider the potential influence of sample nonrepresentativeness. ",
issn="1438-8871",
doi="10.2196/jmir.5745",
url="http://www.jmir.org/2017/3/e61/",
url="https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.5745",
url="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28274906"
}