Feasibility of Assessing Economic and Sexual Risk Behaviors Using Text Message Surveys in African-American Young Adults Experiencing Homelessness and Unemployment: Single-Group Study.

Larissa Jennings Mayo-Wilson,Melissa Davoust,Matthew W Johnson,Nancy E Glass,Alain Labrique,Fred M Ssewamala,Sebastian Linnemayr

doi:10.2196/14833

Abstract

BackgroundText messages offer the potential to better evaluate HIV behavioral interventions using repeated longitudinal measures at a lower cost and research burden. However, they have been underused in US minority settings.ObjectiveThis study aims to examine the feasibility of assessing economic and sexual risk behaviors using text message surveys.MethodsWe conducted a single-group study with 17 African-American young adults, aged 18-24 years, who were economically disadvantaged and reported prior unprotected sex. Participants received a text message survey once each week for 5 weeks. The survey contained 14 questions with yes-no and numeric responses on sexual risk behaviors (ie, condomless sex, sex while high or drunk, and sex exchange) and economic behaviors (ie, income, employment, and money spent on HIV services or products). Feasibility measures were the number of participants who responded to the survey in a given week, the number of questions to which a participant responded in each survey, and the number of hours spent from sending a survey to participants to receiving their response in a given week. One discussion group was used to obtain feedback.ResultsOverall, 65% (n=11/17) of the participants responded to at least one text message survey compared with 35% (n=6/17) of the participants who did not respond. The majority (n=7/11, 64%) of the responders were women. The majority (n=4/6, 67%) of nonresponders were men. An average of 7.6 participants (69%) responded in a given week. Response rates among ever responders ranged from 64% to 82% across the study period. The mean number of questions answered each week was 12.6 (SD 2.7; 90% of all questions), ranging from 72% to 100%. An average of 6.4 participants (84%) answered all 14 text message questions in a given week, ranging from 57% to 100%. Participants responded approximately 8.7 hours (SD 10.3) after receiving the survey. Participants were more likely to answer questions related to employment, condomless sex, and discussions with sex partners. Nonresponse or skip was more often used for questions at the end of the survey relating to sex exchange and money spent on HIV prevention services or products. Strengths of the text message survey were convenience, readability, short completion time, having repeated measures over time, and having incentives.ConclusionsLongitudinal text message surveys may be a valuable tool for assessing HIV-related economic and sexual risk behaviors.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT03237871; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03237871

Highlights

Prior research has found that text messaging may be a promising strategy for involving young adults in research [1,2,3,4,5,6,7], as young adults are among the largest consumers of digital communication technologies [8,9,10]
Potential participants were recruited onsite from 2 community-based organizations (CBOs) providing emergency and supportive residential services to young adults in Baltimore, Maryland
To analyze the results of the text message survey, we first created a database in Excel that included: a cell phone number for each participant; a participant unique study ID; demographic data relating to participants’ age, gender, education level, years living in Baltimore, number of hours worked per week, and number of children living in and out of the household, the date and time of study enrollment, the date and time of all outgoing and/or incoming messages, and the numerical, textual, or free-from text message response to each of the 14 text message questions each week

Summary

Introduction

Prior research has found that text messaging may be a promising strategy for involving young adults in research [1,2,3,4,5,6,7], as young adults are among the largest consumers of digital communication technologies [8,9,10]. Text messaging as an assessment tool has been valued given that it can be integrated into the lives of study participants, who often carry cell phones throughout the day, without being intrusive or requiring additional travel or study visitation time [16]. Text message surveys may result in more representative research data by better engaging out-of-school individuals or individuals living in lower-income and underserved communities, who might otherwise be missed when using school- and clinic-based assessments [4,21]. Text messages offer the potential to better evaluate HIV behavioral interventions using repeated longitudinal measures at a lower cost and research burden. They have been underused in US minority settings

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion