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. 2021 Aug 26;23(8):e30861.
doi: 10.2196/30861.

Comparison of the Differences Between Web-Based and Traditional Questionnaire Surveys in Pediatrics: Comparative Survey Study

Heping Fang  1 , Ruoling Xian  1 , Zhuoying Ma  1 , Mingyue Lu  1 , Yan Hu  1
Affiliations

Comparison of the Differences Between Web-Based and Traditional Questionnaire Surveys in Pediatrics: Comparative Survey Study

Heping Fang et al. J Med Internet Res. .

Abstract

Background: A web-based survey is a novel method for data capture. Some studies have applied web-based surveys in pediatrics, but few of them have reported data on the differences between web-based and traditional questionnaire surveys.

Objective: The objective of our study was to evaluate the internal consistency of a web-based survey and compare it with a traditional questionnaire survey in pediatrics.

Methods: A convenience sample of caregivers was invited to participate in the survey on feeding patterns and their children's eating behaviors if their children were aged 2 to 7 years. A web-based survey and a traditional questionnaire survey were carried out between October 2018 and July 2019. A total of 1085 caregivers were involved in this study, and they were divided into the following three groups based on methods and sources: (1) web-based survey from a web source, (2) web-based survey from a hospital source, and (3) traditional questionnaire survey from a hospital source. The data were then compared and analyzed.

Results: A total of 735 caregivers participated in the web-based survey and 350 caregivers participated in the traditional questionnaire survey, and 816 cases were then included in the analyses after data processing. The effective rate of the web-based survey was 70.1% (515/735), and the completeness rate of the traditional questionnaire survey was 86.0% (301/350). There were no significant differences between web-based surveys from different sources. However, demographic characteristics were significantly different between the web-based and traditional questionnaire surveys, mainly in terms of age and caregivers (χ²4=16.509, P=.002 and χ²4=111.464, P<.001, respectively). Caregivers of children aged 2 to 3 years and grandparents were more likely to respond to the web-based survey. Age-specific stratified analysis showed that the score of "monitoring" and the reporting rate of "poor appetite" in children aged 2 to 3 years were significantly higher in the web-based survey compared to the traditional questionnaire survey after adjusting for demographic characteristics.

Conclusions: A web-based survey could be a feasible tool in pediatric studies. However, differences in demographic characteristics and their possible impacts on the results should be considered in the analyses.

Keywords: comparative study; pediatrics; questionnaire; survey; web survey.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Data processing and the response rates of the surveys.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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