Skip to main content
. 2023 Sep 19;12(18):6063. doi: 10.3390/jcm12186063
Section/Topic Item Item Description Page Number
Title and abstract 1a State the word ‘survey’ along with a commonly used term in title or abstract to introduce the study’s design 2
Title and abstract 1b Provide an informative summary in the abstract, covering background, objectives, methods, findings/results, interpretation/discussion, and conclusions. 2
Introduction Background 2 Provide a background about the rationale of study, what has been previously done, and why this survey is needed. 2
Purpose/aim 3 Identify specific purposes, aims, goals, or objectives of the study. 3
Methods Study design 4 Specify the study design in the “Methods” section with a commonly used term (e.g., cross-sectional or longitudinal). 3
Data collection methods 5a Describe the questionnaire (e.g., number of sections, number of questions, number and names of instruments used). 5
5b Describe all questionnaire instruments that were used in the survey to measure particular concepts. Report target population reported validity and reliability information, scoring/classification procedure, and reference links (if any). 5
5c Provide information on pretesting of the questionnaire, if performed (in the article or in an online supplement). Report the method of pretesting, number of times questionnaire was pre-tested, number and demographics of participants used for pretesting, and the level of similarity of demographics between pre-testing participants and sample population. Not performed
5d Questionnaire, if possible, should be fully provided (in the article, or as appendices or an online supplement). 35
Sample characteristics 6a Describe the study population (i.e., background, locations, eligibility criteria for participant inclusion in survey, exclusion criteria). 4, 5
6b Describe the sampling techniques used (e.g., single stage or multistage sampling, simple random sampling, stratified sampling, cluster sampling, convenience sampling). Specify the locations of sample participants whenever clustered sampling was applied. 4, 5
6c Provide information on sample size, along with details of sample size calculation. 4, 5
6d Describe how representative the sample is of the study population (or target population if possible), particularly for population-based surveys. 23
Survey administration 7a Provide information on modes of questionnaire administration including the type and number of contacts, the location where the survey was conducted (e.g., outpatient room or by use of online tools, such as Survey Monkey). 4, 5
7b Provide information of survey’s time frame, such as periods of recruitment, exposure, and follow-up days. 4
7c Provide information on the entry process: –>For non-web-based surveys, provide approaches to minimize human error in data entry. –>For web-based surveys, provide approaches to prevent “multiple participation” of participants. Not performed
Study preparation 8 Describe any preparation process before conducting the survey (e.g., interviewers’ training process, advertising the survey). Not performed
Ethical considerations 9a Provide information on ethical approval for the survey if obtained, including informed consent, institutional review board [IRB] approval, Helsinki declaration, and good clinical practice [GCP] declaration (as appropriate). 24
9c Provide information about survey anonymity and confidentiality and describe what mechanisms were used to protect unauthorized access. 5
Statistical analysis 10a Describe statistical methods and analytical approach. Report the statistical software that was used for data analysis. 5
10b Report any modification of variables used in the analysis, along with reference (if available). No modifications made
10c Report details about how missing data were handled. Include rate of missing items, missing data mechanisms (i.e., missing completely at random [MCAR], missing at random [MAR], or missing not at random [MNAR]), and methods used to deal with missing data (e.g., multiple imputation). 5
10d State how non-response error was addressed. 5
10e For longitudinal surveys, state how loss to follow-up was addressed. Not applicable
10f Indicate whether any methods such as weighting of items or propensity scores have been used to adjust for non-representativeness of the sample. Not applicable
10g Describe any sensitivity analysis conducted. Not performed
Results
Respondent characteristics
11a Report numbers of individuals at each stage of the study. Consider using a flow diagram, if possible. 4
11b Provide reasons for non-participation at each stage, if possible. 23
11c Report response rate; present the definition of response rate or the formula used to calculate response rate. 4
11d Provide information to define how unique visitors are determined. Report number of unique visitors along with relevant proportions (e.g., view proportion, participation proportion, completion proportion). Not performed
12 Provide characteristics of study participants, as well as information on potential confounders and assessed outcomes. 5
13a Give unadjusted estimates and, if applicable, confounder-adjusted estimates along with 95% confidence intervals and p values. Not performed
13b For multivariable analysis, provide information on the model building process, model fit statistics, and model assumptions (as appropriate). Not applicable
13c Provide details about any sensitivity analysis performed. If there are considerable amount of missing data, report sensitivity analyses comparing the results of complete cases with that of the imputed dataset (if possible). Not performed
Discussion
Limitations
14 Discuss the limitations of the study, considering sources of potential biases and imprecisions, such as non-representativeness of sample, study design, important uncontrolled confounders. 23
Interpretations 15 Give a cautious overall interpretation of results, based on potential biases and imprecisions and suggest areas for future research. 21–23
Generalizability 16 Discuss the external validity of the results. 21–23
Other sections
Role of the funding source 17 State whether any funding organization has had any roles in the survey’s design, implementation, and analysis. 23–24
Conflict of interest 18 Declare any potential conflict of interest. 15
Acknowledgements 19 Provide names of organizations/persons that are acknowledged along with their contribution to the research. Not applicable
Based on Likert scale rating from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Items’ scores were re-rated if major modifications were made in the previous round [10].