Feasibility of using telephone interviews and internet-based message services during the COVID-19 pandemic in rural Sri Lanka: experiences of the Rajarata Pregnancy Cohort.
Rural Remote Health
; 22(2): 7442, 2022 05.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1847989
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged population health researchers to use remote data collection methods to avoid face-to-face interaction. A proper assessment of the feasibility of these methods in low-resource settings is lacking. We share our experience from telephone interviews conducted among pregnant women in the Rajarata Pregnancy Cohort in Sri Lanka. Among 3374 participants, 3284 (98.4%) and 496 (14.7%) had mobile and fixed-access phones respectively. During interviews, 1576 (51.9%) of participants were non-contactable. Of these, there were 157 (5.1%) wrong numbers, 889 (29.1%) were unavailable/phone switched off and 479 (15.7%) didn't answer their phone. Telephone interviews were completed only among 1438 (42.6%). Of these, 476 (33.1%) used messaging apps. In this local setting, these methods led to selection bias and inequity in health message delivery. If other ways to target vulnerable people in rural areas are not in place, the adoption of a telephone-based strategy to health message delivery may worsen health disparity during the COVID-19 pandemic. These facts aid in the planning and implementation of research and health promotion initiatives in rural areas of low- and middle-income nations throughout the world.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
COVID-19
Type of study:
Cohort study
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Qualitative research
Limits:
Female
/
Humans
/
Pregnancy
Country/Region as subject:
Asia
Language:
English
Journal:
Rural Remote Health
Journal subject:
Public Health
/
Health Services
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
RRH7442
Similar
MEDLINE
...
LILACS
LIS