11-23, 13:00–13:15 (Australia/Melbourne), Zoom Breakout Room 3
Reimbursement incentive strategies play an integral part in survey participant engagement. Given the potential for participant non-response increases over the course of a study, innovative strategies designed to maximise retention and engagement are required. Contemporary approaches can combine not only monetary reimbursements, but also leverage a participant’s sense of altruism.
In 2013, the Department of Health funded the development of Ten to Men: The Australian Longitudinal Study on Male Health. Originally comprising a sample of around 16,000 men aged from 10 to 55, sample loss had been problematic in early waves with over 4,000 participants not responding to Wave 2, only 1.5 years after Wave 1 was conducted. Sample attrition concerns were intensified by a five-year gap between Waves 2 and 3 following a change in study management.
In 2019, preparations began for approaching the TTM sample for Wave 3 of the study. Providing study participants with the most effective incentive offer was a key goal for the Wave 3 approach. Early focus group testing with participants suggested there was an appetite for conscientious study considerations (e.g. responsibly sourced paper for materials). This highlighted the importance of considering more than just the amount and type of reimbursement, but also what broader value incentives may hold for participants.
This paper will focus on the Ten to Men approach to using altruistic incentives to engage longitudinal study participants. For both a pre-fieldwork panel maintenance activity and for our Wave 3 main data collections, we partnered with relevant charities and provided charitable donations as a participant incentive option. We will discuss the value of these partnerships, how this incentive approach was promoted to participants and how they responded. We will also highlight the key learnings and how they have impacted planning for future approaches.
As the Cohort Manager in the Longitudinal and Lifecourse Studies team, Deborah develops and implements respondent engagement strategies with a view to increase participant affinity and loyalty. She has over 10 years’ experience in establishing and designing study materials and incentive initiatives.
Deborah has previously worked on many longitudinal studies including, the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) study; Ten to Men: The Australian Longitudinal Study on Male Health, and Growing Up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC).