Recruitment of women veterans into suicide prevention research: Improving response rates with enhanced recruitment materials and multiple survey modalities

Abstract

Women veterans (WV) are the fastest growing veteran subpopulation and recognized to be at increased risk for suicide compared with civilians. Improving engagement (e.g., response rates) of WV in survey research is critical to ensuring valid and generalizable findings, which can inform suicide prevention programs tailored for this population. Many factors are known to influence response rates, yet little is known about ways to optimize survey response rates among WV. Three recruitment cohorts (Waves 1 [W1], 2a [W2a], and 2b [W2b]) of WV were invited to participate in an online survey for a national, mixed‐methods study examining suicide risk among WV using reproductive health care services paid for or provided by the Veterans Health Administration. To examine the effects of enhanced recruitment efforts, standard recruitment materials were mailed to all three cohorts, with the additions of: a study flyer aiming to build trust between participants and researchers (W2a, W2b) and a paper survey (W2b). Characteristics of responders and non‐responders were compared by wave and across survey modalities. Response rates were significantly higher for groups receiving enhanced (W2a = 17.1%; W2b = 24.6%) versus standard (W1 = 12.2%) recruitment materials. WV residing in rural areas were significantly more likely to respond by paper (37.1%) than online (19.8%). Non‐respondents were disproportionately racial and ethnic minorities. Disclosure of sensitive information (e.g., military sexual trauma) did not differ by survey modality. Findings suggest that enhanced recruitment materials improve survey response rates among WV, an important consideration for future research with this population.

Post-9/11 veterans’ heart disease knowledge, self-perceived risk, and prevention beliefs and behaviors.

“…Often associated with minority status, adverse social determinants of health -lower income, less education, living in an unsafe neighborhood -may also influence a person's ability to engage in preventive health behavior (e.g., less access to healthy foods or opportunities to be physically active). The 32% survey response rate is somewhat low, but it is within the rate of responses from veterans who have completed other paper surveys (Gaeddert et al, 2020). Survey nonresponders were more likely to be significantly younger, male, and members of racial and ethnic minority groups (all p , .001 [Gaffey et al, 2021]).…”

Prevalence and Correlates of Firearm Access Among Post-9/11 US Women Veterans Using Reproductive Healthcare: a Cross-Sectional Survey

“…Despite minimal non-response bias 18 , the overall response rate was low, with low base rates for many constructs (e.g., recent SI, suicide attempt). The focus on younger women Veterans accessing VHA RHC also limits generalizability.…”

“…To facilitate recruitment following an initial recruitment wave, a randomly selected portion also received a study flyer, paper survey, and return envelope in each mailing. 18 Participants consented and received $20 for participating. The local Institutional Review Board approved this study.…”

“…Of 381 who initiated the survey, 10 were ineligible, 1 opted out, and 18 did not complete the survey, resulting in 352 eligible individuals who completed the survey (response rate of 17.9%). 18 After removing two participants (0.6%) with missing firearm data, the final sample included 350 women Veterans.…”

Measuring Compliance: The Challenges in Assessing and Understanding the Interaction between Law and Organizational Misconduct

“…Many research questions seek information that can be applied to a large group of people, including people that were not directly studied. Surveys are the best method to use when wanting to study large groups of people (including entire nations) because -depending on the modality of the survey -they are easy to disseminate across broad geographic areas (see Deutskens, de Jong, de Ruyter, & Wetzels, 2006;Gaeddert et al, 2020;McHorney, Kosinski, & Ware, 1994). Random or probability sampling designs tend to be more easily applied to survey methods as well (e.g., the use of random digit telephone dialing, getting a random sample of mailing addresses), which means that researchers are in a better position to assume that the results from their sample are applicable to a larger population.…”