Study invitations with envelopes made from recycled paper do not increase likelihood of active responses or study participation in the German National Cohort

OBJECTIVE: We conducted a trial embedded within the German National Cohort comparing the responses to study invitations sent in recycled envelopes of grey color vs. envelopes of white color. We analyzed paradata for reactions to the invitation letters by potential subjects, the duration between mailing date of the invitation and active responses, and study participation. RESULTS: Grey envelopes only slightly increased the chance of active responses (OR 1.16, 95% CI 0.83, 1.62) to the invitation letter. Potential study subjects with German nationality (OR 3.75, 95% CI 2.07, 7.66) and age groups above 50 years (50–59: OR 1.78, 95% CI 1.19, 2.69; 60–69: OR 2.25, 95% CI 1.48, 3.43) were more likely to actively respond to the invitation letter. The duration between mailing date of the invitation and active response was not associated with envelope color, sex, nationality, or age. Our trial replicates previous observations that the color of the envelope of a study invitation does not influence the likelihood of an active response or study participation. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s13104-019-4510-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.