Comparing Incentives to Increase Response Rates Among African Americans in the Ohio Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System

Since 2005, the Ohio Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) has used a prepaid phone card incentive in an effort to increase survey response. Although Ohio PRAMS has generally achieved an overall response rate of 70%, African American participation has been significantly lower, a persistent problem documented by other PRAMS states. We examined the effect of a gift card incentive compared to the standard phone card on African American response. Sampled women in the African American stratum of Ohio PRAMS were randomly assigned to either the experimental (n = 276) or control (n = 274) incentive ($10 CVS gift card or 30-min prepaid phone card, respectively). Response rates were calculated for the total number of sampled African American women during the study period. Partial or full completion of the survey instrument by mail or phone was considered a response. Logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of response. Variables examined included age, education, ethnicity, marital status, smoking status, birth weight, Women Infants and Children (WIC) enrollment, prenatal care, parity, and incentive assignment. The overall unweighted response rate was significantly higher in the experimental group (60.5 vs. 48.5%, P = .002). Maternal and infant characteristics were similar between groups. Logistic regression modeling revealed that having more than 12 years of education (OR = 2.46, 1.56–3.89), gift card incentive (OR = 1.46, 1.02–2.10), and enrollment in WIC (OR = 1.57, 1.05–2.35) were independent predictors of increased survey response. Use of a $10 CVS gift card incentive in place of a prepaid phone card can positively impact African American response in PRAMS.