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RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION FOR A HISPANIC POPULATION: RESULTS FROM A COMMUNITY HEALTH STUDY
Citation:
DINGWALL, M., S. J. HANIF, A. EGOROV, T. J. WADE, AND A. H. WILLIAMS. RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION FOR A HISPANIC POPULATION: RESULTS FROM A COMMUNITY HEALTH STUDY. Presented at American Association of Opinion Researchers, Anaheim, CA, May 17 - 20, 2007.
Description:
Survey researchers, social scientists, and opinion pollsters have long been concerned with accessing and collecting survey research data from the Hispanic population. The Hispanic population in the United States is quickly becoming one of the most important minority groups to impact the development of new public policies. However, survey researchers continue to find accessing and collecting data from this group to be one of their bigger challenges. This presentation discusses the techniques that Westat implemented to successfully recruit, enroll, and maintain participation in a community health study located in Lawrence , Massachusetts. Lawrence is approximately 85% Hispanic, with an immigrant population primarily from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Many are non-English speaking, with low education and socioeconomic status. Participating households were asked to provide questionnaire data and saliva samples on a monthly basis over a 4 - 6 month period. Some of our techniques included hiring local bilingual interviewers who were familiar with the community, working with important community stakeholders to acquire 'study buy-in,' and using intercept interviewing techniques to recruit households. Additionally, as the data collection period progressed, we went from a passive approach, with much of the burden placed on the participants, to a much more proactive approach, with interviewers assisting participants with forms completion and saliva collection and shipment. Doing so eliminated many of the barriers to participation that had previously hindered eligible households. Our results indicate that participants from Hispanic populations can be recruited and will continue to participate in a longitudinal study by adapting study research design and protocol to the population of interest.