Improving retention of community-recruited participants in HIV prevention research through Saturday household visits; findings from the HPTN 071 (PopART) study in South Africa

N F Bell-Mandla, R Sloot, G Maarman, S Griffith, A Moore, S Floyd, R Hayes, S Fidler, H Ayles, P Bock, HPTN 071 (PopART) study team, N F Bell-Mandla, R Sloot, G Maarman, S Griffith, A Moore, S Floyd, R Hayes, S Fidler, H Ayles, P Bock, HPTN 071 (PopART) study team

Abstract

Background: Identifying successful strategies to improve participant retention in longitudinal studies remains a challenge. In this study we evaluated whether non-traditional fieldworker shifts (after hours during the week and weekends) enhanced participant retention when compared to retention during traditional weekday shifts in the HPTN 071 (PopART) population cohort (PC).

Methods: HPTN 071 (PopART) PC participants were recruited and followed up in their homes on an annual basis by research fieldworkers over a 3-4 year period. The average number of successful follow-up visits, where a PC participant was found and retained in the study, was calculated for each of 3 visit schedules (early weekday shift, late weekday shift, and Saturday shift), and standardized to account for variation in fieldwork shift duration. We used one-way univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) to describe differences in mean-successful visits and 95% confidence intervals between the shift types.

Results: Data on 16 651 successful visits were included. Successful visit rates were higher when conducting Saturday visits (14.0; 95% CI: 11.3-16.6) compared to both regular (4.5; 95% CI: 3.7-5.3) and late weekday shifts (5.3; 95% CI: 4.7-5.8) overall and in all subgroup analyses (P<0.001). The successful visit rate was higher amongst women than men were during all shift types (3.2 vs. 1.3, p<0.001). Successful visit rates by shift type did not differ significantly by age, over time, by PC round or by community triplet.

Conclusion: The number of people living with HIV continues to increase annually. High quality evidence from longitudinal studies remains critical for evaluating HIV prevention and treatment strategies. This study showed a significant benefit on participant retention through introduction of Saturday shifts for home visits and these data can make an important contribution to the emerging body of evidence for improving retention in longitudinal research.

Trial registration: PopART was approved by the Stellenbosch University Health Research Ethics Committees (N12/11/074), London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (6326) ethics committee and the Division of AIDS (DAIDS) (Protocol ID 11865). PopART was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (registration number NCT01900977 ).

Keywords: Community-based research; Household visit timing; Household visits; Longitudinal cohort; Longitudinal studies; Participant retention; Population cohort; Retention; Retention methods; Retention strategies.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

© 2021. The Author(s).

References

    1. UNAIDS . AIDSinfo datasheet. Geneva: UNAIDS; 2020.
    1. World Health Organization . Consolidated guidelines on the use of antiretroviral drugs for treating and preventing HIV infection. Recommendations for a public health approach. 2. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2016.
    1. Ployhart RE, Vandenberg RJ. Longitudinal research: the theory, design, and analysis of change. Journal of Management. 2009;36(1):94–120. doi: 10.1177/0149206309352110.
    1. Mee P, Collinson MA, Madhavan S, Kabudula C, Gomez-Olive FX, Kahn K, et al. Determinants of the risk of dying of HIV/AIDS in a rural South African community over the period of the decentralised roll-out of antiretroviral therapy: a longitudinal study. Glob Health Action. 2014;7:24826. doi: 10.3402/gha.v7.24826.
    1. Seed M, Juarez M, Alnatour R. Improving recruitment and retention rates in preventive longitudinal research with adolescent mothers. J Child Adolesc Psychiatr Nurs. 2009;22(3):150–153. doi: 10.1111/j.1744-6171.2009.00193.x.
    1. Whiteman DC, Dunne MP, Burnett PC. Psychological and social correlates of attrition in a longitudinal study of hazardous waste exposure. Arch Environ Health. 1995;50(4):281–286. doi: 10.1080/00039896.1995.9935955.
    1. Joubert GE, Ehrlich R, Katzenallenbogen J. Epidemiology. A manual for South Adrica. Oxford: Oxford University; 2007.
    1. Matthews FE, Chatfield M, Brayne C, Medical Research Council Cognitive F, Ageing S An investigation of whether factors associated with short-term attrition change or persist over ten years: data from the Medical Research Council Cognitive Function and Ageing Study (MRC CFAS) BMC Public Health. 2006;6:185. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-6-185.
    1. de Campos MT, Gadenz CD, Capobianco DM, Figueiro LR, Ferigolo M, Vissoci JR, et al. Factors associated with attrition in randomized controlled trials of vocal rehabilitation: systematic review and meta-analysis. J Voice. 2017;31(2):259.e29–259.e40. doi: 10.1016/j.jvoice.2016.05.014.
    1. Chou P, Kuo HS, Chen CH, Lin HC. Characteristics of non-participants and reasons for non-participation in a population survey in Kin-Hu, Kinmen. Eur J Epidemiol. 1997;13(2):195–200. doi: 10.1023/A:1007384525568.
    1. Young AF, Powers JR, Bell SL. Attrition in longitudinal studies: who do you lose? Aust N Z J Public Health. 2006;30(4):353–361. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-842X.2006.tb00849.x.
    1. Teague S, Youssef GJ, Macdonald JA, Sciberras E, Shatte A, Fuller-Tyszkiewicz M, et al. Retention strategies in longitudinal cohort studies: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2018;18(1):151. doi: 10.1186/s12874-018-0586-7.
    1. Hayes R, Ayles H, Beyers N, Sabapathy K, Floyd S, Shanaube K, et al. HPTN 071 (PopART): Rationale and design of a cluster-randomised trial of the population impact of an HIV combination prevention intervention including universal testing and treatment - a study protocol for a cluster randomised trial. Trials. 2014;15(1):57. doi: 10.1186/1745-6215-15-57.
    1. Hayes RJ, Donnell D, Floyd S, Mandla N, Bwalya J, Sabapathy K, et al. Effect of universal testing and treatment on HIV incidence - HPTN 071 (PopART) N Engl J Med. 2019;381(3):207–218. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1814556.
    1. Brueton VC, Tierney JF, Stenning S, Meredith S, Harding S, Nazareth I, et al. Strategies to improve retention in randomised trials: a Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open. 2014;4(2):e003821. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2013-003821.
    1. Bambs CE, Kip KE, Mulukutla SR, Aiyer AN, Johnson C, McDowell LA, et al. Sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological factors associated with attrition in a prospective study of cardiovascular prevention: the Heart Strategies Concentrating on Risk Evaluation Study. Ann Epidemiol. 2013;23(6):328–333. doi: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2013.02.007.
    1. Bamer A, McMullen K, Gibran N, Holavanahalli R, Schneider JC, Carrougher GJ, et al. Factors associated with attrition of adult participants in a longitudinal database: A National Institute on disability, independent living, and rehabilitation research burn model system study. J Burn Care Res. 2019;41(2):270–279. doi: 10.1093/jbcr/irz186.
    1. Dareng EO, Olaniyan Y, Adebamowo SN, Eseyin OR, Odutola MK, Obiefuna EM, et al. Age, HIV status, and research context determined attrition in a longitudinal cohort in Nigeria. J Clin Epidemiol. 2018;100:32–43. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2018.04.012.
    1. Radler BT, Ryff CD. Who participates? Accounting for longitudinal retention in the MIDUS national study of health and well-being. J Aging Health. 2010;22(3):307–331. doi: 10.1177/0898264309358617.
    1. Forcey DS, Walker SM, Vodstrcil LA, Fairley CK, Bilardi JE, Law M, et al. Factors associated with participation and attrition in a longitudinal study of bacterial vaginosis in Australian women who have sex with women. PLoS One. 2014;9(11):e113452. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113452.
    1. Obasanjo OO, Kumwenda N. Factors related to attrition in a cohort study of HIV in Malawi. East Afr Med J. 2009;86(8):399–408.
    1. Booker CL, Harding S, Benzeval M. A systematic review of the effect of retention methods in population-based cohort studies. BMC Public Health. 2011;11:249. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-11-249.

Source: PubMed

Sponsoren und Mitarbeiter

Krankheiten

Drogeninterventionen

3
Abonnieren