Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31234825›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2019

It's not raining men: a mixed-methods study investigating methods of improving male recruitment to health behaviour research.

Jillian Ryan, Luke Lopian, Brian Le, Sarah Edney, Gisela Van Kessel, Ronald Plotnikoff, Corneel Vandelanotte, Tim Olds, Carol Maher

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In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 63 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
63citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

63 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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3 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Jillian RyanCommonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Adelaide, Australia. Jillian.Ryan@csiro.au.
Luke LopianAlliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity: University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia.
Brian LeAlliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity: University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia.
Sarah EdneyAlliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity: University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia.
Gisela Van KesselAlliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity: University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia.
Ronald PlotnikoffPriority Research Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia.
Corneel VandelanottePhysical Activity Research Group, School of Human Health and Social Sciences, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, Australia.
Tim OldsAlliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity: University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia.
Carol MaherAlliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity: University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia.

Funding

National Health and Medical Research Council APP1080186
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAlthough gender is an important determinant of health behaviour with males less likely to perform health-protective behaviours, samples in health behaviour research are heavily biased towards females. This study investigated the use of online social network, Facebook, to reach and recruit inactive males to a team-based, social, and gamified physical activity randomised controlled trial.

methodsMethodological techniques included a narrative literature review, survey of inactive males (n = 34) who rated advertisement images and text captions on scales of 1-10, and trial Facebook-delivered recruitment campaigns. Advertisement effectiveness was measured by cost-per-click to the study website, number of expressions of interest, and study enrolments from males.

resultsSurvey results showed that vibrant images of men exercising accompanied by concise captions (< 35 words) were most effective. An advertising campaign incorporating these components achieved a cost-per-click of $0.60, with 80% of n = 50 expressions of interest being from men, a marked improvement from baseline campaigns in which only 11% of expressions of interest were from men. Despite this, men who were recruited through the targeted campaign failed to enrol into the study, primarily due to reluctance to invite friends to join their team. An alternative strategy of encouraging females to invite men boosted male participation from 18% of the sample at baseline to 29% in the targeted recruitment phase.

conclusionsEvidence-based approaches can improve Facebook recruitment outcomes, however, there are complex barriers hindering male recruitment to health behaviour studies that may necessitate multi-faceted strategies including involvement of family and friends.

Indexed as

Health BehaviorPatient SelectionAdolescentAdultHumansMaleRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicSocial MediaSurveys and QuestionnairesYoung AdultFacebookHealth behaviourMaleMen’s healthOnline social networksPhysical activityRandomised controlled trialRecruitment

Identifiers

PMID31234825
PMCPMC6591998

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.