With the conflict showing no signs of abating and international efforts to end the hostilities so far failing to yield any results, GeoPoll conducted a remote mobile phone-based survey in December, 2021 to gather on the ground information about the crisis. The survey reached a sample size of 418 respondents, which provides a 5% margin of error and a 95% confidence interval. The study was not purely scientific, however, as an ongoing communications blackout effectively prevented participation from much of Northern Ethiopia – Tigray in particular.

The questionnaire was designed by GeoPoll researchers, translated into the local language, Amharic, and conducted via SMS. All respondents opted in to the study and were given information regarding the confidentiality of their responses.

Jump to results

Topics covered in the survey include:

• Personal safety and displacement
• Employment and income changes
• Concerns about the conflict spreading
• Peacebuilding efforts
• Humanitarian aid presence
• Access to essential services (electricity, fuel, water, sanitation)
• Food security and malnutrition
• Communications outages
• Access to medical care and education
• Trusted news sources
• Outlook for Ethiopia’s future

Preliminary insights from the survey data are detailed in this post. To view the full results of the study, filterable by question, region, age group, and gender, scroll down to the Interactive Data Dashboard.

Personal Safety and Displacement

Despite a communications blackout limiting participation from Tigray and neighboring regions at the epicenter of the conflict, results from GeoPoll’s study show widespread unrest. Across Ethiopia, 17% of respondents have been forced to move or flee recently due to the conflict, and 50% know someone who has been forced to move or flee. According to respondents, most who have fled have stayed within Ethiopia.

Human rights groups have reported numerous incidences of atrocities against civilians by all the warring parties in the conflict. Although most of those atrocities have occurred in the northern regions behind the communications blackout, 38% of respondents in our study feel unsafe in their everyday life and 26% have personally witnessed violence. Only 22% report feeling “very safe.”

Concerns About the Conflict Spreading

International alarm about the escalating conflict has deepened in the past few months with the possibility of the fighting reaching the capital, Addis Ababa. The largest segment of respondents in our study (40%) say they are “extremely concerned” about the conflict reaching the capital.

So far, international calls for peace have failed to quell the fighting. Few in our study believe any international entities (African Union, UN, US, China, etc.) can play a significant role in peacebuilding efforts. Many say community leaders should play that role.

Despite growing international concern that the fighting in Tigray could break Ethiopia apart, 63% of respondents believe the country is headed in the right direction. Only 9% say it is headed in the wrong direction. Approximately one in every four respondents say they are not sure, illustrating the uncertainty of the current situation.

Humanitarian Crisis and Relief

According to the United Nations, the fighting in Ethiopia has driven hundreds of thousands into famine-like conditions.

The conditions are most dire in Tigray, where a de facto blockade has kept desperately needed aid from reaching the area for months.

A scan of the results from our study illustrates the hardships experienced outside of Tigray, including:

• 49% report a decrease in income in the past year
• 71% have experienced shortages of necessities in the past 30 days (fuel, water, etc.)
• 57% have experienced phone outages
• 42% find it difficult to access medical care
• 68% are very dissatisfied with the government’s ability to provide essential services
• 18% have gone to bed hungry in the past week
• 12% have a family member suffering from malnutrition
• 43% find it difficult to access the food supplies they need
• 16% of school-age children are not attending school (mostly girls)

In the midst of these hardships, most respondents do not believe humanitarian aid organizations are currently in their area to provide relief. Only 9% say they have received humanitarian aid in the past 30 days. In November, 2021, the United Nations announced it had released emergency funds to scale up humanitarian operations in Ethiopia. Delivering aid to citizens most in need remains a challenge, however.

Trusted News Sources

Journalists working in Ethiopia face restrictions under a nationwide state of emergency declared by the government in October, 2021. News stories are being strictly monitored and controlled, and more than a dozen journalists have been detained. In this hostile media environment, it follows that 29% of respondents in our study do not trust any sources of news. TV the most trusted news source at 38%. Social media comes in second at only 17%.

Interactive Data Dashboard

Dive deeper into the full results from this study using the dashboard below. The dashboard provides responses to each question in the survey, filterable by region, age group, and gender.

Conduct Research in Ethiopia

GeoPoll has extensive experience conducting research in vulnerable areas through remote mobile-based methodologies. In times when it is otherwise impossible to get information from people on the ground, remote data collection can play a pivotal role in capturing the sentiment and realities in hard-to-reach areas.

To learn more about GeoPoll’s capabilities in Ethiopia and around the world, please contact us.

The post REPORT: Ethiopia Conflict and Humanitarian Crisis appeared first on GeoPoll.

Research Methodologies

Self-Administered Surveys 

A survey is a series of simple questions that build on each other and are designed in a specific order to explore one or more topics. Depending on the survey, questions and responses can be text or multimedia. Self-administered surveys are surveys that are completed by the respondent and are often sent to and completed by SMS, web link, or mobile application. 

Respondents can complete surveys via Short Message Service (SMS or text message) one question at a time. This method is ideal for some populations, such as those found in countries in sub-Saharan Africa or Latin America, because it does not require respondents to have internet connectivity. 

Surveys can also be internet-based via a web link, mobile web link or a mobile application. With mobile web links, respondents with internet-capable phones click on a link within an initial SMS message and then complete the survey in a basic web browser. Mobile web supports video/picture questions, and question formats such as matrices which are not supported in SMS surveys.

Respondents who own smartphones can complete surveys through a mobile application which, with the respondent’s consent, has additional capabilities for GPS location, passive data collection and picture taking. Mobile applications can also facilitate tasks such as retail audits or billboard monitoring. 

Interactive Voice Interviews (IVR) are a self-administered audio interview, in which respondents listen to audio pre-recordings and answer questions using their dialpad. This method is useful for reaching illiterate populations through voice calls, without needing to train call center interviewers, however response rates can be lower than when using CATI, a method outlined below.

Interviews through CATI, CAPI, or Pen and Paper  

Similar to surveys, interviews are a series of questions that explore one or more topics. One major difference is that the interview methods discussed here are interviewer-administered, rather than self-administered. Depending on the targeted population and the amount of time needed for data collection, interviews can be done in person or over the phone. Interviewers must be trained, fluent in the respondent’s language of choice, and familiar with their cultural context.

Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI), is done over the phone with the interviewer based in a country-specific call center. This methodology allows for interviewers with multiple language capabilities to easily speak with respondents across a large or hard-to-access region more quickly than is possible using face-to-face interviews. 

For in-person interviews, Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) facilitates face-to-face data collection in the field through a mobile application and removes the need for paper questionnaires or manual data collection. Pen and paper interviews are still used in some contexts but are inefficient and can lead to data input errors or interviewer error.

Observative Research

Observation is a qualitative methodology where researchers witness a respondent’s natural behavior in their usual environment. Depending on the goal, a researcher may engage with the situation or remain at a distance and only watch. The benefit of this methodology is that researchers can understand how a respondent actually acts, rather than what they self-report.

Observational research may be used as a precursor to a survey when researchers need more information about a specific question. Or, observation might be used if researchers are concerned that self-reported behaviors may differ from a person’s actions, even if this inaccuracy is unintentional. 

Focus Groups

A focus group is a small group of people (usually 6-8) who represent a larger group. In traditional focus groups,  respondents meet in one location with a researcher for up to two hours and discuss specific research topics. Similar to surveys or interviews, the researcher will lead respondents through a series of predetermined questions. This methodology allows for discussion and collaboration between respondents.

Digital focus groups can also be administered through either computer-based chats, often called Market Research Online Communities, or using mobile-based group chats, such as ones GeoPoll has facilitated with brands including Unilever. 

Big Data Analytics

Analysis of large amounts of data is a useful way to understand patterns and trends. Gartner defines big data as “data that contains greater variety arriving in increasing volumes and with ever-higher velocity.”  Big data can be valuable in identifying certain types of consumer insights. It can lead to robust decision-making around consumer needs or satisfaction and help predict future opportunities for innovation. However, the large amount of information is not infallible. Just as important is the interpretation and application of this data. While big data analysis tries to make sense of large amounts of information, market research methodologies like surveys and interviews can answer a specific research question. 

Market Research Methods During COVID-19

In-person research is one of the most traditional types of data collection and still remains popular today. However, the worldwide outbreak of coronavirus has made in-person research impossible, and researchers must find other ways to collect data that keep both themselves and their respondents safe. 

Using the aforementioned remote methodologies, which include SMS, mobile web link, CATI, and mobile-based focus groups,  data collection is still possible and safe during coronavirus. GeoPoll has experience transitioning face-to-face research to remote methodologies and has the existing infrastructure to support robust data collection. Our team are experts in remote data collection methodologies and can quickly transition an in-person study to a remote, mobile-based methodology. To speak to a member of our team about your project, please contact us today. For more information about GeoPoll’s research methodologies and conducting research throughout Africa, Asia, and Latin America, download our guide to research in emerging regions. 

The post Market Research Methods appeared first on GeoPoll.

Coronavirus Testing and Healthcare Behavior Changing

Although there has been a slow ramp-up of testing in many African nations, with tests per thousand people varying widely by country, GeoPoll’s data finds that reported testing has increased; 16% of respondents said they knew people who had tested negative for coronavirus, up from 12% in our first round of data collection, and 11% knew someone who had tested positive, up from 8%. There is also a slight increase in perceived risk of exposure; 66% say they believe they are at risk of being exposed to coronavirus, up from 63% in the earlier round of data collection.

In our last report, we noted that the percent who said they would go to a hospital if they exhibited mild symptoms of COVID-19 was quite high, at 58%, compared to just 13% who stated that they would stay home with mild symptoms. This subsequent round of data collection shows shifting attitudes towards healthcare-seeking behavior, with 51% stating they would go to the hospital, 18% reporting they would stay home, and 27% stating they would go to a doctor. This may indicate increased communication and awareness around treatment for mild cases of coronavirus in the countries studied.

Respondents report almost identical levels of preventative measures being taken when compared to the previous round of data collection, suggesting that respondents have not changed their habits much over the past few weeks, and a large portion are still avoiding public places and increasing hygiene. A slightly higher percentage than previously reported say they are now fully self-quarantining; 73% are self-quarantining now compared to 70% in the previous round of data collection.

We also found that the actions being taken by businesses to protect their consumers have shifted, with 34% now reporting that staff are in protective gear compared to 25% in the previous round, and 28% stating that store traffic is being limited, versus 25% in the previous round. A slightly lower percent, 53%, report that sanitizer is being offered in stores than the previous 57%, although this could be due to sanitizer shortages.

Shifts in Food Purchasing Behavior in sub-Saharan Africa

There is a strong likelihood that populations in sub-Saharan Africa and other regions will experience heightened levels of food insecurity due to COVID-19 and related restrictions on movement and market operability. Our last study showed high levels of concern over food availability, and 81% of respondents remain concerned over having enough food to eat. Additionally, we observe some shifts in food buying habits even within the past few weeks. While respondents indicate that food markets are gradually reopening in some areas, with 22% stating that most markets are open compared to 18% in the previous survey round, a slightly larger percent of respondents now report shopping for food more often than usual.

There are also shifts in the amount of food being purchased; while the previous round of data collection found that 22% said they were buying smaller packsizes than usual and 43% were buying larger packsizes than usual, the latest data shows that 28% are buying smaller packsizes and 39% bigger packsizes. This could indicate that towards the beginning of the crisis people were buying larger amounts of food, or could suggest that people are unable to afford large quantities of food, so are now purchasing smaller packsizes. Similar trends are seen in the brands being purchased; 79% of those who stated that they had worried about food availability report switching to a cheaper brand of food, versus 72% who said the same in the previous round.

Media Consumption During Coronavirus

We have looked at how information sources and media consumption are changing due to coronavirus in several of our reports; In Kenya, we found average television viewership had increased during COVID-19, and in Uganda, that news viewership specifically had risen. Our last round of data collection in 12 African nations also found that 66% reported an increase in media consumption. This round of data collection had similar results, with 65% reporting an increase in media consumption, although a slightly higher percent – 17% versus 15% from the first round – said they were consuming less media. Television and social media remain the top information sources overall, but on social media we find that more people are now turning to health organizations to get their news, with 25% stating they are getting information on social media from health organizations, compared to 22% in the previous round.

Results Dashboard

Future Studies on Coronavirus in Africa

GeoPoll will be running additional studies on how COVID-19 is impacting live throughout sub-Saharan Africa and other regions. To sign up for updates when we release a new report, please fill out the form below. To request pricing for custom studies related to coronavirus around the globe, please contact us.

The post Coronavirus in sub-Saharan Africa: Data shows changing food habits, increased testing appeared first on GeoPoll.

Despite mobile-based methodologies being the safest and most effective way to gather data during a crisis such as COVID-19, there are still unknown factors when using mobile to collect data. Who can be reached, what modes are best suited to each project, and how questionnaires should be designed are just a few of the questions that come up when organizations are looking to transition projects from face-to-face methodologies to mobile surveys.

While formal research on the usage of mobile surveys is sparse, below is an overview of the research available and anecdotal evidence from GeoPoll’s 8+ years conducting remote survey work in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

What can mobile phone surveys be used for?

Mobile surveys have been used as a tool by reputable organizations including the World Bank, The United Nations World Food Programme, Unilever, GIZ, and Insight2Impact for several years. There is some debate over if mobile surveys can yet be used to fully replace face-to-face studies, however, there is agreement that mobile surveys excel at collecting rapid data during crises. USAID, FHI360, Keystone Accountability, and others have utilized remote methodologies to identify vulnerable populations and shifting trends during crises including the 2014-2015 West Africa Ebola outbreak. Organizations such as the World Food Programme have spearheaded the usage of mobile surveys in multiple regions to gather food security data, finding that mobile was able to correctly identify trends and seasonal shifts in food security.

Additionally, there is evidence that mobile is better at gathering data on sensitive questions than in-person modes. Research GeoPoll conducted with Kantar TNS found that SMS respondents were more likely to indicate that they felt unsafe in their homes and that they have gone without food than respondents from the compared face-to-face survey.

Who can be reached with remote mobile surveys?

The mobile methodologies that are feasible during COVID-19 (CATI, SMS, IVR, and mobile web or mobile application) require respondents to have access to a mobile phone through which they will answer survey questions. While some studies, such as the World Bank’s Listening To Africa project, provide mobile phones to respondents through initial face-to-face outreach, at present organizations can only reach respondents through mobile phones they already have. This reduces the sampling frame of any given study to those with access to mobile devices, but mobile penetration in Africa and other regions is increasing each year; a 2017 study by Pew research found over 80% of the population in 6 African countries had access to some sort of mobile phone.

Studies have found that the mobile population overrepresents those who are more educated, male, and younger age groups in many countries, but it’s still possible to target those who are older or less educated – it simply may require a larger sample base to draw from to find these respondents. GeoPoll has often targeted very specific groups, from farmers of certain crops to mothers of young children, and is able to do so through careful sampling methods and screening questions. We can also create samples which are nationally representative by key demographics through a stratified random sampling approach and use of quotas to reach the desired sample size within each demographic group.

Finally, GeoPoll uses mobile-friendly Living Standard Measures questions to calculate the LSM or SEC group of respondents. GeoPoll’s recent studies on coronavirus and other studies have included respondents from the lowest SEC groups, who typically do not have running water or electricity in their homes. Certain modes may be better for targeting certain groups; CATI has been found to be better at reaching older age groups, while IVR may reach those less educated.

Who you will target also depends on the sample source; GeoPoll has access to mobile subscriber databases in over 60 countries which we can draw from, or we can gather sample through an enhanced Random Digit Dialing (RDD) process, or recruitment through online, radio, or TV advertisements. GeoPoll can also send surveys to provided lists of contacts for those looking to reach a pre-recruited group.

What mobile survey mode should I use?

Current available modes from GeoPoll include:

• SMS: Surveys conducted via a 2-way SMS chat
• CATI: Voice calls placed by trained interviewers working remotely during COVID-19
• IVR: Automated voice calls with a recording
• Mobile web: A mobile web link that is sent via SMS or another mode and opens a basic web browser
• Mobile application: Mobile applications which administer surveys with those with access to smartphones.

The ideal mode for conducting research will depend on a variety of factors, including questionnaire length, budget, and target respondent groups. It has been found that CATI and IVR are generally more expensive than SMS, however, cost varies widely by mode and is also dependent on countries studied, screening criteria, number of questions, and other factors. In order to get a true estimate of cost, you should contact a research firm such as GeoPoll who can provide price quotes by mode for your specific project. 

How should I design questionnaires for mobile?

As many remote mobile methodologies are self-administered (with the exception of CATI) and have other limitations such as character limits, questionnaires for mobile must keep the mode of survey research in mind. For example, while one study found that individual question length didn’t affect response rates, studies GeoPoll and others have done have found that longer SMS studies have lower completion rates. Additional studies have demonstrated that certain question types may work better in certain modes; for example, a GeoPoll study found that SMS select-all-that-apply questions yield fewer answers than forced-choice questions.

What other factors should I consider when conducting mobile research?

Other factors to consider when embarking on a mobile research project include:

• Incentives: Findings are mixed on the use of incentives; A study in Ghana and Tanzania found small incentives increased completion rates, but that higher incentives had similar effects to lower amounts, and other studies have found lesser effects. Some surveys may also cost respondents airtime; GeoPoll and other services often use zero-rated shortcodes to send messages so that they can be received and replied to even when respondents do not have airtime.
• Language: Many countries speak multiple languages, and surveys should be offered in more than one language – for SMS, services such as GeoPoll offer multi-language surveys, and for CATI, research providers should have multiple interviewers with different language skills. GeoPoll’s call centers are staffed with interviewers who often speak up to 6 languages, depending on the country.
• Local Context: It has also been found that the local context is important. For example, dialects and wording intent can vary throughout regions, which is why GeoPoll always uses local interviewers to conduct voice calls and makes multiple checks on other survey types before sending them out. GeoPoll has also found that in countries such as Nigeria, female interviewers have higher response rates.
• Speed: The speed at which you are looking to collect data will have an impact on the mode you choose. SMS and mobile web surveys can be sent to tens of thousands of respondents at once, while the speed at which CATI interviews are conducted depends on the number of interviewers hired. GeoPoll has also found that IVR response rates can be very low, which can slow down data collection.
• Cost: Your budget for conducting research will be a factor in determining mode, sample size, and other aspects of data collection. While there is a tendency to think lower-cost equals lower-quality, this is not always the case; For many projects, SMS and mobile web surveys are a good option for gathering quality data at lower costs than CATI.
• Data Output: Data can often be delivered in multiple formats – some research organizations will provide raw data in Excel or SPSS, and others may do data analysis for you. GeoPoll has a full-service research team who do data cleanup and analysis and can provide raw data, create reports, and build custom dashboards.

Conducting Mobile Surveys during COVID-19

Although there is still much research to be done on mobile surveys, coronavirus provides researchers an opportunity to test new methodologies that will be referred back to for many years to come. While mobile may not yet reach every person on the globe, it will within the coming decades, and so we must continue to test different methodologies in order to better understand the nuances of mobile data collection.

When conducting mobile research, we recommend using a firm like GeoPoll that has years of experience in the nuances of remote mobile methodologies. To request a quote from GeoPoll for mobile-based research, please contact us here.

The post Frequently Asked Questions around Mobile Phone Surveys appeared first on GeoPoll.

In-person research is one of the oldest methods of data collection and remains popular today despite the high costs often associated with this methodology. Face-to-face methodologies are still used regularly in emerging regions such as those in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, where researchers looking to reach lower socioeconomic classes often turn to in-person interviewers.

However, the coronavirus outbreak has made in-person research impossible in many countries due to travel restrictions and lockdowns, and inadvisable in other regions due to the health risks associated with interviewers traveling door-to-door. In order to keep interviewers and their subjects safe, researchers must quickly find alternative ways to collect data, especially when that data can provide vital information on food availability, healthcare-seeking behaviors, and consumer perceptions.

Best Practices for Remote Data Collection

At GeoPoll we have been conducting research in emerging regions through remote, mobile-based methodologies since our launch in 2014. Our expertise in collecting data through modes including SMS, mobile web, and Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) enables us to assist those looking to transition in-person projects to remote modes. Below are some of our tips for adapting in-person studies to remote methodologies:

Assess available research modes: Remote research modes that are commonly used in emerging regions include 2-way SMS, CATI voice calls, IVR calls, mobile web links, and mobile applications. While CATI call centers may not be able to continue to operate out of a central location in all countries, providers such as GeoPoll are already working on systems to allow interviewers to conduct calls from their own homes.

Consider the population you are reaching: While in-person modes can reach all socioeconomic classes, increased mobile penetration around the globe allows for remote research to be conducted. When looking to reach lower socioeconomic classes, voice call interviews conducted through CATI will provide the closest comparison to in-person research as they can reach illiterate populations. IVR may also be utilized, but often has low response rates and high costs.

Use a reputable sample provider: Unless you are reaching your own list of respondents, you will need to use a reputable sample provider to gather a representative sample. Firms including GeoPoll have pre-stratified databases of mobile respondents in many markets. We have also seen success using Random Digit Dialing methods in certain countries.

Adjust your survey design: Surveys designed for face-to-face administration will need to be adjusted for a remote methodology. SMS surveys must be designed with several factors in mind including character limits and overall questionnaire length, and mobile web questionnaires should also be on the short side to minimize drop-off rates. CATI surveys can be slightly longer, but researchers should still take length and survey structure into consideration.

Compensate respondents: As with in-person research, respondents should be compensated for their time. If messages are not zero-rated, researchers should also take into consideration the data costs associated with responding to a survey. GeoPoll has found that incentive amounts of $0.50 to $1.00 are sufficient in most markets, and can deposit incentives immediately upon survey completion through several methods including airtime and mobile money.

Work with a partner experienced in remote data collection: When administered with care, remote methodologies can collect data that is of equal quality to in-person research. However, to get the best results you should work with a research organization that has experience in best practices around study design, research modes, and sampling techniques for a remote study.

Conduct Remote Research with GeoPoll

GeoPoll’s team are experts in remote data collection methodologies and can help you transition in-person studies to remote, mobile-based methodologies quickly and effectively. To speak to a member of our team about your project, please contact us today.

The post How to Transition Face-to-Face to Remote Research Methodologies appeared first on GeoPoll.

SMS surveys are a useful method for conducting mobile research due to their ease, convenience, and wide reach – by administering surveys through SMS, people can answer questions without needing to download and install an application or pick up a phone call at a specific time. Using SMS, research is conducted remotely on an individual’s own mobile devices, with an initial opt-in message being sent first, followed by a series of questions that are answered by typing in answers and sending them back to the same number. SMS surveys are especially useful in emerging markets, where mobile penetration is continually growing, but smartphone and Internet penetration remains low, making online surveys less representative of a country’s population.

SMS surveys are also more cost-effective and faster than face-to-face or voice call interviews, though those modes can reach illiterate populations, which makes them beneficial for certain studies. While SMS surveys can be adapted for many research objectives, some basic guidelines should be followed when designing any SMS survey.

Tips for Designing SMS Surveys

Keep Questions and Answers Under 160 Characters: This rule is both the most important and most challenging to adapt to when designing SMS surveys, especially if you are used to writing questions for online or face-to-face interviews. With SMS, each question and corresponding answer choices must fit into 160 characters, the standard length of a text message. If the text is any longer, it will be split into multiple messages – while messaging services attempt to deliver these in the correct order, they can often come in incorrectly. An example of a question and answer text that fits into 160 characters is below. In order to achieve this, the question has been trimmed of unnecessary spaces, and the text kept as simple as possible while maintaining the integrity of the question:

• • In what types of stores do you shop for food and drink?
    1)Malls
    2)Retail shops
    3)Department Stores
    4)Supermarket
    5)Specialty Stores
    6)Discount Stores
    7)Other
    

To measure question length, you can use the =LEN formula in Excel – GeoPoll’s standard questionnaire template for SMS has this formula in a column to the right of every question. Using abbreviations or slang can also help remove unnecessary characters, though overuse of these terms is not recommended. Finally, if it proves impossible to fit all questions and answer options into 160 characters, you can break the message into two by placing the question in the first message and ending with a message such as “Press 1 to see answer options.” By breaking the messages within the survey design rather than risking them getting split on delivery, you can control how they appear to the survey respondent.

Design Short Questionnaires: In addition to making individual question length short, the overall questionnaire length should also be quite short. GeoPoll recommends that SMS surveys should take about 10-15 minutes to complete, which usually equates to about 30-40 questions, including any screener questions and demographic questions. By testing the survey both internally and with a pilot group of respondents, researchers can see if the drop-off rates for their survey are higher than expected and adjust before sending the survey to the full sample.

Use Clear Opt-in and Instructional Language: As with any survey, the first message should be an opt-in to that specific survey, even if the respondent has already opted-in to be part of a general pool of survey respondents. SMS surveys are no exception, and opt-in language should be clear around the survey length and provided incentive when applicable. Instructional language, such as text that says “Reply with a number” for a multiple-choice question, should also be clear and easy to understand.

Avoid Certain Types of Questions: A critical component of developing SMS questionnaires is understanding what question types they excel at versus those they do not support. Certain question types, such as matrix questions or those that include pictures or videos, are generally not supported by SMS. In addition, research has shown that select all that apply question types do not perform as well via SMS than via other modes such as web link, with respondents selecting fewer choices on average when answering via SMS. Single-choice, yes/no, and ranking questions are all excellent question types to use in an SMS survey. SMS also supports open-ended questions, though due to the character limit of a text message, responses may be shorter than seen with other modes.

Conduct SMS Surveys with GeoPoll

SMS surveys are useful in a wide variety of applications and should be considered for surveys that can be adapted to fit the above guidelines. By partnering with GeoPoll, you will get access to a team of experts in SMS survey design, along with unique platform features such as free-to-respondent messages sent through a short code, and the ability to immediately incentivize respondents upon survey completion. To talk to GeoPoll about conducting your own SMS survey, contact us today.

The post How to Optimize Surveys for SMS appeared first on GeoPoll.

The study was conducted from the 20^th – 26^th of August 2019 in Swahili and French, with respondents randomly selected from GeoPoll’s database of mobile subscribers in North Kivu. Out of 483 respondents, 313 were from Goma, with the remainder from other areas in North Kivu. The gender split was 58% male to 42% female, and the age breakdown was 45% 15-24, 43% 25-34, and 14% aged 35 and older. GeoPoll used our previous experience conducting surveys around Ebola and other disease outbreak to develop the questionnaire, the results of which can be seen below. Data provides a snapshot view of the on-the-ground situation and demonstrates the importance of further research in the region.

Awareness of Ebola in the DRC

Out of all respondents, 40% stated that they know of people who have contracted Ebola in the past month, with the youngest age group – ages 15-24 – being the least likely to know someone who has contracted Ebola, at 33%. The vast majority of respondents report that they are aware of the symptoms of Ebola, with females being less likely to know the symptoms; 91% of males and 86% of females reported that they know the symptoms.

A slightly smaller percentage were aware of the recent spread of Ebola in their own area, though still a strong majority of 79% reported that they knew of the outbreak. We do find some differences in the results by education level: those who had completed post-secondary school had higher levels of awareness of the outbreak, at 83% reporting awareness of Ebola, compared to 74% of those who had completed secondary school or lower levels of education.

Radio is shown to be the predominant source of information on Ebola, with 53% of respondents listing radio as their primary news/information source on Ebola, followed by social media at 17% and friends or family at 10%. WhatsApp and Facebook were listed as the most popular social media sources of information. 90% of respondents report that they have communicated with friends about Ebola and its risk.

Health Actions and Perceptions of the Ebola Response 

Aid organizations often focus on both treatment of Ebola and the distribution of information about the ways to prevent the spread of Ebola, and our survey asked several questions around the perception of the response to Ebola as well as perceived risk to disease exposure. In terms of aid presence, we found that 62% thought that healthcare or aid organizations had been more present in their area in the past two weeks. High levels reported fears about visiting health facilities for non-Ebola related illnesses, with 74% stating that people are scared to visit facilities for other health concerns. Additionally, public places are seen as the highest risk areas for exposure to Ebola, with 41% stating public transport poses the biggest risk to exposure and 39% stating general public places are the biggest risk. 86% report that they know how to prevent themselves from contracting Ebola, with no significant difference between genders.

We also examined perceptions of the Ebola response, finding relatively high levels of support for the handling of the outbreak by both the government and hospitals. In terms of how the hospitals are handling the current outbreak, 65% report the hospital response is ‘average’ or higher, while 69% reported the same regarding the government. Only 15% and 14% reported that the hospitals and government respectively are doing an ‘excellent’ job at handling the outbreak, indicating there are still areas for improvement. We also found differing levels of confidence in the government’s ability to handle a larger outbreak: If there was a wider outbreak, 37% say they are ‘not confident’ in their government’s ability to handle it, while 35% say they are ‘very confident’. We did not observe differences between age and gender for the level of confidence in the government.

Ebola in Goma

Much of the focus around Ebola in DRC recently has been centered on Goma, a border city with Rwanda, a transport hub for the region, and the capital of North Kivu. Due to concern around Ebola’s spread in this strategic location, we targeted this survey to ensure a high number of responses from Goma and asked several questions to the 313 respondents from the city.

Regarding treatment plans, we find that a high majority in Goma, 90%, would go to a health facility or hospital if they thought they had Ebola, rather than going to a private doctor or using traditional medicine. Further supporting the perceived value of hospitals to treat Ebola, we find that 93% say if someone in their household had symptoms they would go to a health facility quickly rather than treating them at home. Despite this, when asked specifically about Ebola Treatment Units, units specifically designed to treat and prevent the spread of Ebola, we found less knowledge of their uses. Just over half of Goma respondents said they were familiar with what happens at an ETU.

During high-profile disease outbreaks such as Ebola in DRC, there can be a level of concern over notifying officials of symptoms due to perceived stigma, however, we find that 84% in Goma would tell official Ebola response workers if they became infected with the disease. Despite high levels of worry over contracting Ebola, with 46% of respondents from Goma stating they are ‘very worried’ about becoming infected, we find a split response on people avoiding public spaces due to the disease: 48% have avoided areas like markets and stadiums, and 52% say they have not avoided public spaces.

Conducting Surveys in the Democratic Republic of Congo

To learn more about how GeoPoll’s mobile-based surveys and communications can be used to aid the Ebola response effort in DRC please contact us.

The post Ebola in DRC: SMS Survey Results appeared first on GeoPoll.