PURPOSE: To assess whether the scores of an Internet-administered adolescent health questionnaire (using two different interfaces) are equivalent to those obtained via paper and pencil (P&P). Furthermore, it compares adolescents' evaluations of modes of administration. METHODS: We randomly assigned 591 adolescents (aged 13-17 years) from five secondary schools within their classes to one of the two Internet interfaces (multiple items vs. one item per screen) orP&P. Adolescents completed questionnaires on psychosocial well-being (KIVPA), self-reported problems, health care utilization, and health-related behavior and supplementary evaluation surveys (on the given health questionnaire mode) in the computer classrooms. Differences in questionnaire scores among administration modes were analyzed by the Student's t-test and Wald test. RESULTS:Response rate was 96% (n = 565). Adolescents in the Internet one-item mode more frequently reported satisfaction with appearance compared with the Internet multiple-items mode (p </= .01). The Internet group had more adolescents reporting that they have a sufficient number of friends than those in the paper mode (p </= .01). The Internet mode received more favorable evaluations than P&P. The multiple items per screen format was favored over the one item per screen format on perceived speed of the administration mode. CONCLUSIONS:Health questionnaires via Internet were positively evaluated and generally resulted in equal scores of health status/health behavior compared with the P&P mode. We recommend further research with other questionnaires, and in other settings as well with regard to score equivalence between web-based and P&P-administered questionnaires.
RCT Entities:
PURPOSE: To assess whether the scores of an Internet-administered adolescent health questionnaire (using two different interfaces) are equivalent to those obtained via paper and pencil (P&P). Furthermore, it compares adolescents' evaluations of modes of administration. METHODS: We randomly assigned 591 adolescents (aged 13-17 years) from five secondary schools within their classes to one of the two Internet interfaces (multiple items vs. one item per screen) or P&P. Adolescents completed questionnaires on psychosocial well-being (KIVPA), self-reported problems, health care utilization, and health-related behavior and supplementary evaluation surveys (on the given health questionnaire mode) in the computer classrooms. Differences in questionnaire scores among administration modes were analyzed by the Student's t-test and Wald test. RESULTS: Response rate was 96% (n = 565). Adolescents in the Internet one-item mode more frequently reported satisfaction with appearance compared with the Internet multiple-items mode (p </= .01). The Internet group had more adolescents reporting that they have a sufficient number of friends than those in the paper mode (p </= .01). The Internet mode received more favorable evaluations than P&P. The multiple items per screen format was favored over the one item per screen format on perceived speed of the administration mode. CONCLUSIONS: Health questionnaires via Internet were positively evaluated and generally resulted in equal scores of health status/health behavior compared with the P&P mode. We recommend further research with other questionnaires, and in other settings as well with regard to score equivalence between web-based and P&P-administered questionnaires.
Authors: Hein Raat; Jeanne M Landgraf; Rianne Oostenbrink; Henriëtte A Moll; Marie-Louise Essink-Bot Journal: Qual Life Res Date: 2006-11-17 Impact factor: 4.147