We launched the Boston University Pregnancy Study Online (PRESTO) to assess the feasibility of carrying out an Internet-based preconception cohort study in the US and Canada.
We recruited female participants age 21-45 and their male partners through Internet advertisements, word of mouth, and flyers. Female participants were randomised with 50% probability to receive a subscription to FertilityFriend.com (FF), a web-based programme that collects real-time data on menstrual characteristics. We compared recruitment methods within PRESTO, assessed the cost-efficiency of PRESTO relative to its Danish counterpart (Snart-Gravid), and validated retrospectively reported date of last menstrual period (LMP) against the FF data.
After 99 weeks of recruitment (2013-15), 2421 women enrolled; 1384 (57%) invited their male partners to participate, of whom 693 (50%) enrolled. Baseline characteristics were balanced across randomisation groups. Cohort retention was similar among those randomised vs. not randomised to FF (84% vs. 81%). At study enrollment, 56%, 22%, and 22% couples had been trying to conceive for 97% reported their LMP on the PRESTO questionnaire within 1 day of the LMP recorded via FF.
Use of the Internet as a method of recruitment and follow-up in a North American preconception cohort study was feasible and cost-effective.
Notes
Cites: Natl Vital Stat Rep. 2015 Jan 15;64(1):1-6525603115
Cites: J Med Internet Res. 2014;16(12):e27925514159