The Utility of an Online Convenience Panel for Reaching Rare and Dispersed Populations

Randall Sell,Shoshana Goldberg,Kerith Conron,Andrew R Dalby

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0144011

Randall Sell, Shoshana Goldberg + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0144011

Copy DOI

Abstract

Gaps in data collection systems, as well as challenges associated with gathering data from rare and dispersed populations, render current health surveillance systems inadequate to identify and monitor efforts to reduce health disparities. Using sexual and gender minorities we investigated the utility of using a large nonprobability online panel to conduct rapid population assessments of such populations using brief surveys. Surveys of the Google Android Panel (four assessing sexual orientation and one assessing gender identity and sex assigned at birth) were conducted resulting in invitation of 53,739 application users (37,505 of whom viewed the invitation) to generate a total of 34,759 who completed screening questions indicating their sexual orientation, or gender identity and sex at birth. Where possible we make comparisons to similar data from two population-based surveys (NHIS and NESARC). We found that 99.4% to 100.0% of respondents across our Google Android panel samples completed the screening questions and 97.8% to 99.2% of those that consented to participate in our surveys indicated they were “OK” with the content of surveys that assessed sexual orientation and sex/gender. In our Google Android panel samples there was a higher percentage of sexual minority respondents than in either NHIS or NESARC with 7.4% of men and 12.4% of women reporting gay, lesbian or bisexual identities. The proportion sexual minority was 2.8 to 5.6 times higher in the Google Android panel samples than was found in the 2012 NHIS sample, for men and women, respectively. The percentage of “transgender” identified individuals in the Google sample was 0.7%, which is similar to 0.5% transgender identified through the Massachusetts BRFSS, and using a transgender status item we found that 2.0% of the overall sample fit could be classified as transgender. The Google samples sometimes more closely approximated national averages for ethnicity and race than NHIS.

Highlights

IntroductionSampling Rare and Dispersed Populations Online equity, eliminate disparities, and improve the health of all groups.”[1, 2] Healthy People 2020 expresses a commitment to assess “health disparities in the U.S population by tracking rates of illness, death, chronic conditions, behaviors, and other types of outcomes in relation to demographic factors.”[3] Despite this well-intentioned commitment, gaps in data collection systems, as well as challenges associated with gathering data from rare and dispersed populations, render current health surveillance systems inadequate to identify and monitor efforts to reduce health disparities– those that impact sexual and gender minorities
Responsibility to monitor, protect, and promote the public health is embedded in the United States of America Constitution and is reflected in Healthy People 2020 goals–to “achieve healthPLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0144011 December 7, 2015Sampling Rare and Dispersed Populations Online equity, eliminate disparities, and improve the health of all groups.”[1, 2] Healthy People 2020 expresses a commitment to assess “health disparities in the U.S population by tracking rates of illness, death, chronic conditions, behaviors, and other types of outcomes in relation to demographic factors.”[3]
Despite this well-intentioned commitment, gaps in data collection systems, as well as challenges associated with gathering data from rare and dispersed populations, render current health surveillance systems inadequate to identify and monitor efforts to reduce health disparities– those that impact sexual and gender minorities. [4,5,6,7]

Summary

Introduction

Sampling Rare and Dispersed Populations Online equity, eliminate disparities, and improve the health of all groups.”[1, 2] Healthy People 2020 expresses a commitment to assess “health disparities in the U.S population by tracking rates of illness, death, chronic conditions, behaviors, and other types of outcomes in relation to demographic factors.”[3] Despite this well-intentioned commitment, gaps in data collection systems, as well as challenges associated with gathering data from rare and dispersed populations, render current health surveillance systems inadequate to identify and monitor efforts to reduce health disparities– those that impact sexual and gender minorities. In order to characterize the health of sexual and gender minorities, other sampling methods must be explored [9,10,11]

Methods

Results

Conclusion