Comparison of the Differences Between Web-Based and Traditional Questionnaire Surveys in Pediatrics: Comparative Survey Study

Abstract

Background A web-based survey is a novel method for data capture. Some studies have applied web-based surveys in pediatrics, but few of them have reported data on the differences between web-based and traditional questionnaire surveys. Objective The objective of our study was to evaluate the internal consistency of a web-based survey and compare it with a traditional questionnaire survey in pediatrics. Methods A convenience sample of caregivers was invited to participate in the survey on feeding patterns and their children’s eating behaviors if their children were aged 2 to 7 years. A web-based survey and a traditional questionnaire survey were carried out between October 2018 and July 2019. A total of 1085 caregivers were involved in this study, and they were divided into the following three groups based on methods and sources: (1) web-based survey from a web source, (2) web-based survey from a hospital source, and (3) traditional questionnaire survey from a hospital source. The data were then compared and analyzed. Results A total of 735 caregivers participated in the web-based survey and 350 caregivers participated in the traditional questionnaire survey, and 816 cases were then included in the analyses after data processing. The effective rate of the web-based survey was 70.1% (515/735), and the completeness rate of the traditional questionnaire survey was 86.0% (301/350). There were no significant differences between web-based surveys from different sources. However, demographic characteristics were significantly different between the web-based and traditional questionnaire surveys, mainly in terms of age and caregivers (χ²4=16.509, P=.002 and χ²4=111.464, P<.001, respectively). Caregivers of children aged 2 to 3 years and grandparents were more likely to respond to the web-based survey. Age-specific stratified analysis showed that the score of “monitoring” and the reporting rate of “poor appetite” in children aged 2 to 3 years were significantly higher in the web-based survey compared to the traditional questionnaire survey after adjusting for demographic characteristics. Conclusions A web-based survey could be a feasible tool in pediatric studies. However, differences in demographic characteristics and their possible impacts on the results should be considered in the analyses.

The Current Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of the Neglected Methodology of Web-Based Questionnaires Among Chinese Health Workers: Web-Based Questionnaire Study

“…In addition, for some topics that are difficult to understand, WBQ may be more prone to information bias than face-to-face surveys. A small number of WBQ participants (5/515, 1%) reported comprehension problems even after careful cultural adjustment and pretesting, as previously described [21]. Our study showed that "set anonymous" (176/215, 81.9%) and "explain difficult topics" (180/215, 83.7%) reached a satisfactory level, indicating that the researchers had fully recognized these two aspects.…”

“…In addition, we set 3 logical progressive questions (“Have you heard of the WBQ?” “Have you conducted the WBQ survey?” “Have you participated in training on WBQs?”), 1 repeated question about age at the beginning and end, and 1 self-evaluation question about the response quality (“The answer is completed and cannot be modified after submission; please help us evaluate the quality of your answer”) to evaluate the reliability of the responses [ 21 ].…”

“…The most concerning topic is that which is more accurate in the results of WBQs and traditional questionnaires. Although some studies have shown that WBQs and traditional questionnaires might obtain different results when dealing with subjective or sensitive topics [21,27,28], many studies have shown that WBQs have the same internal consistency as paper questionnaires and have even higher reliability when dealing with private topics [29][30][31][32][33]. In fact, the reasons why different survey methods produce different results are partly related to the complexity and variability of human psychology.…”

Factors Associated with Knee and Heel Pain in Children: An Observational Web-Based Survey for 1,200 Parents with Young Japanese Footballers Aged in 8–12 Years

“…Recently, web-based surveys have been applied in various investigations and have been shown to be a feasible tool in paediatric research (Fang et al, 2021). Anonymous online questionnaires are convenient, especially for large-scale studies.…”

A Study Protocol for the Management of Children With Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Based on ePROs

“…The PROs are originally paper-based through written questionnaires and/or in-person interviews ( 27 ), called “paper-based PROs.” With growing information technology, PROs are collected by devices or software, called “ePROs” ( 28 ), which were found to be more flexible, convenient, and efficient ( 29 ). Compared with paper-based PROs, the ePROs not only can avoid data entry errors and reduce missing information ( 30 ) but also can increase the overall survival among patients with cancer ( 31 ).…”