ArticleBMJ open2015
The impact of distance and duration of travel on participation rates and participants' satisfaction: results from a pilot study at one study centre in Pretest 2 of the German National Cohort.
Article in BMJ open, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
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5 citing papers in PubMed.
- Establishment of a cohort for deep phenotyping of the immune response to influenza vaccination among elderly individuals recruited from the general population.Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics · 2017Trial
- Knowledge and determinants of Mpox and infection prevention and control practices among primary health care workers in Osun State, Nigeria.BMC health services research · 2025Article
- Inequalities in geographic barriers and patient representation in lymphoma clinical trials across England.British journal of haematology · 2025Article
- Article
- Motivations for (non)participation in population-based health studies among the elderly - comparison of participants and nonparticipants of a prospective study on influenza vaccination.BMC medical research methodology · 2017Article
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7 authors.
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Abstract
objectivesIn this pilot study within the Pretest 2 phase of the German National Cohort, we aimed to (1) test the hypothesis that distance and duration of travel to a study centre may affect participation rates and participants' satisfaction and (2) to obtain data that would help to select recruitment areas around the study centre Hannover with the greatest projected participation rate for the main study.
settingMixed urban/suburban environment in Northern Germany with approximately 600,000 inhabitants. 4 recruitment areas with divergent estimated mean distances (range, 7-40 km) and duration of travel to the study centre Hannover were selected.
participants1050 men and women (ratio, 1:1), aged 20-69 years, were randomly selected from the population registries of the 4 recruitment areas and invited by mail to participate in the Pretest 2 study programme at the study centre Hannover, covering a variety of questionnaire-based and physical assessments. 166 individuals participated (16%).
interventionsAll 166 participants completed a travel questionnaire containing 5 items relating to travel duration and satisfaction, amounting to a participation rate of 100% in the questionnaire-based part of the study.
resultsParticipation rates in the Pretest 2 programme at the study centre Hannover by area ranged from 11% (area farthest from the study centre, estimated median distance 38 km) to 18% (nearest area, 2 km). The odds of non-participation were highest in the area farthest from the study centre (adjusted OR 2.06; p=0.01; CI 1.28 to 3.32). Nonetheless, 97% of participants were satisfied with travel duration.
conclusionsIncreasing distance was associated with a lower participation rate. However, acceptance of duration of travel was high, irrespective of distance or duration. Thus, recruiting in farther away locations may select individuals with a greater frustration tolerance for travel to the study centre, perhaps due to a greater interest in participating in health-oriented studies and thus different health-related behaviour.
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