42: Social networking to access patients (SNAP): Utilizing internet-based platforms as a recruitment tool for research in pelvic floor disorders

Abstract

1) Assess the feasibility of using Facebook and other Internet-based platforms as recruitment tools for pelvic floor disorder studies; 2) Compare the populations recruited between the platforms; and 3) Determine the prevalence of urinary incontinence in this population. We conducted a cross-sectional study among women ages 18 and older to assess the prevalence of incontinence symptoms, bother and care-seeking behavior. Participants were recruited through Facebook ads, ResearchMatch, or via Reddit. Interested women were directed to the study website to complete the study questionnaire. On Facebook, two campaigns were run targeting women under and over 65 years old. The effectiveness of ads was assessed using the click through rate (CTR), which is defined as the number of women who clicked on the ad over the number of times the ad was shown. A non-targeted ad was posted to a Reddit thread in which research opportunities are advertised. For ResearchMatch, investigators sent a recruitment email to women ages 18 and older. Effectiveness of this method was assessed by observing how many women completed the survey compared to the number of women to whom it was sent. Neither ResearchMatch nor Reddit charge to advertise while Facebook charges based on how frequently the ad is displayed. Among the 7,361 who initiated the questionnaire, 6,650 completed it (90%). Completeness was higher for women who were recruited by ResearchMatch (94%) compared to those recruited through Facebook (77%). A majority of the sample was recruited using ResearchMatch (87.3%) while the rest of the sample was recruited through Facebook (1.5%) and Reddit (0.1%). For 5.8% of the sample, the recruitment source was unknown. Most subjects self-identified as non-Hispanic white (83.8%) followed by non-Hispanic black (5.5%), Asian (3.2%), Hispanic (7.8%), and other (2.7%). The Facebook sample was more racially and ethnically diverse with 69.5% non-Hispanic white women compared to 84.3% in the ResearchMatch sample (p < 0.01). The median age of the participants was 38 years (range = 18-93). Participants recruited via ResearchMatch were younger (median = 37) than those recruited through Facebook (median = 52) or another source (median = 50) (p < 0.01). Incontinence was reported by 45.4% of the population. After adjustment for age and race/ethnicity, there was no difference in the odds of reporting incontinence by recruitment modality. Among the women who reported incontinence, 46% reported experiencing symptoms for four or more years. After adjustment for age and race/ethnicity, women who experienced incontinence for a longer period of time had increased odds of reporting it to a physician. All recruitment methods were found to be a feasible and the reported prevalence of incontinence did not differ by recruitment method after adjustment for age and race/ethnicity of the respondents. The prevalence of incontinence was higher than has been reported in other population-based samples. The use of Facebook ads, while expensive, added more racial/ethnic diversity to the population studied.