Trial design
SECONDARY, RECRUITMENT
This study was a two-arm randomised control trial in which participants were randomly assigned to the control or treatment condition in a 1:1 ratio. The trial was prospectively registered with the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry (ACTRN12619000625178). Our approach was detailed in a protocol published in accordance with SPIRIT guidelines [Deviations from the protocol as initially registered were principally due to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. During fieldwork, COVID-19-related lockdown measures were implemented across Australia. In response to a slow recruitment rate, the following changes were implemented. First, the planned 6- and 12-month follow-up was dropped. Although we attempted follow-up at 6 months, low response rates meant that we were unable to use the data collected. To improve response rates, we offered incentives to participants; initially, a 1 in 5 chance to win a $50 gift-card upon survey completion, later modified to $20 voucher for all survey completions. Respondents of the baseline survey were also contacted by a research assistant to improve response rates to follow-up surveys. To understand the impact of COVID-19 on participation, we conducted a focus group with field officers. Information about help-offering behaviour information was not collected in the trial and finally, user engagement metrics were unable to be collected in the detailed form anticipated at the time of writing the protocol. Therefore, we could not match user engagement data to participants’ unique IDs and as a consequence, could not conduct a per protocol analysis. We also note that while the protocol described the collection of secondary outcomes, only primary outcomes are reported in this evaluation.