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Systematic Review of the Use of Online Questionnaires of Older Adults
Author(s) -
Remillard Meegan L.,
Mazor Kathleen M.,
Cutrona Sarah L.,
Gurwitz Jerry H.,
Tjia Jennifer
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/jgs.12747
Subject(s) - generalizability theory , medicine , inclusion (mineral) , the internet , descriptive statistics , online research methods , population , gerontology , research design , family medicine , medline , medical education , psychology , world wide web , social psychology , developmental psychology , social science , statistics , mathematics , environmental health , sociology , computer science , political science , law
Objectives To describe methodological approaches to population targeting and sampling and to summarize limitations of I nternet‐based questionnaires in older adults. Design Systematic literature review. Setting Studies using online questionnaires in older adult populations. Participants English‐language articles using search terms for geriatric, age 65 and over, I nternet survey, online survey, Internet questionnaire, and online questionnaire in P ub M ed and EBSCO host between 1984 and July 2012. Inclusion criteria were study population mean age 65 and older and use of an online questionnaire for research. Review of 336 abstracts yielded 14 articles for full review by two investigators; 11 articles met inclusion criteria. Measurements Articles were extracted for study design and setting, participant characteristics, recruitment strategy, country, and study limitations. Results Eleven articles were published after 2001. Studies had populations with a mean age of 65 to 78, included descriptive and analytical designs, and were conducted in the U nited S tates, A ustralia, and J apan. Recruiting methods varied widely from paper fliers and personal e‐mails to use of consumer marketing panels. Investigator‐reported study limitations included the use of small convenience samples and limited generalizability. Conclusion Online questionnaires are a feasible method of surveying older adults in some geographic regions and for some subsets of older adults, but limited Internet access constrains recruiting methods and often limits study generalizability.