Human–animal contact to inform zoonotic disease risk across gradients of agricultural land use change in the Central River Region (CRR) of The Gambia (ZooContact)

Introduction: Pilot studies are important initial steps in research, providing a preliminary assessment of the practicality, feasibility, and potential challenges of a proposed study. This study attempts to assess the feasibility, practicality, and acceptability of a study that integrates a human-animal contact (HAC) questionnaire, animal biodiversity survey using acoustic analysis, and zoonotic disease investigation in animals among rural households in the Central River Region (CRR) of The Gambia. The pilot study revealed granular insights that would otherwise go unnoticed, providing vital information that directly guided the design and implementation of the subsequent full-scale study on zoonotic disease risk. Methods: = 50) randomly selected to assess the acceptability and reliability of the questionnaire. The feasibility and acceptability of biodiversity surveys and animal sampling were assessed using verbal inquiries from participants and community leaders. Results: The recruitment rate was 96%, and most participants, 50 out of 52, were willing to participate without compensation for lost time during interviews. For animal sampling, 45 out of 50 participants were willing to allow the study team to sample blood and feces from their animals without any form of incentive. All five village heads agreed to the usage of sound recorders to be placed within their community for animal biodiversity assessment. For the survey effort, one field assistant interviewed 25 participants per week. It took a total of 1 h to complete an interview, including random household selection, consenting, and questionnaire interview. Discussion: The pilot study confirmed the feasibility of the research and informed the design of the larger study. Key parameters, such as community access, acceptability, recruitment success, and logistical requirements, contributed to robust sample size calculations and realistic project cost estimates. Additionally, the study enabled the research team to familiarize themselves with the communities and refine the methods for the full study

Agricultural land · Agriculture · Archaeology · Biology · Disease · Environmental health · Environmental planning · Environmental protection · Environmental resource management · Formative assessment · Geography · Land use · Land use, land-use change and forestry · Zoonotic disease · Brucella: diagnosis, epidemiology, treatment · Environmental Science · Livestock and Poultry Management · Medicine · Zoonotic diseases and public health · Ecology

• Controlling social desirability bias

  Open Access•Ronald B Larson•Market Research Society Journal•2019

  Add to list

• A tutorial on pilot studies

  Open Access•Lehana Thabane, Jinhui Ma et al.•BMC Medical Research Methodology•2010

  Add to list