JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Online interventions can be as effective as in-person interventions. However, attrition in online intervention is high and potentially biases the results. More importantly, the high attrition rates might reduce the effectiveness of online intervention.

Objective:

The present study examines the contribution of severity of the problem at hand, i.e. loneliness, coping preference, activating content, and engagement in attrition within an online intervention.

Methods:

Data were collected among 352 participants of an online loneliness intervention for Dutch people aged 50 and over. Attrition was whether one completed all ten intervention lessons. More specifically, the number of lessons participants completed was assessed through the management system of the intervention. We tested four hypotheses on attrition by applying survival analysis (Cox regression).

Results:

Of the 352 participants that subscribed to the intervention, 46 never started the introduction. The remaining 306 participants can be divided into two categories: 73 participants who did not start the lessons of the intervention and 233 who did. Results of the survival analysis (n = 233) show that active coping preference (HR = 0.73), activating content ( HR = 0.71) and two indicators of engagement (HR = 0.94 and HR = 0.79) lower attrition, while severity of the problem is not related to attrition.

Conclusions:

To improve enduring participation, developers of online (loneliness) interventions may focus on stimulating active behavior.