0621 Overcoming Obstacles to Recruitment and Community Engagement During COVID-19 and Development of a Digital Community Outreach program

Abstract

Introduction COVID-19 disrupted traditional research infrastructures and processes most notably in-person community recruitment, especially in underrepresented populations like racial ethnic minorities. To find creative and effective strategies, our group implemented and tested the efficacy of a culturally tailored community outreach plan (COP) developed during the US COVID-19 pandemic. Methods In February 2021, we developed an 11 step culturally-tailored community outreach program to support the implementation of three NIH funded community-based sleep studies. The following steps include: (1) description of the situation statement, 2) definition of goals, 3) engagement of audience/stakeholders, 4) tailoring message, 5) defining incentives, 6) choice of outreach methods, 7) identification of spokesperson, 8) choice of tools to assess progress, 9) identification of media outlets, 10) creation of study timeline, and 11) implementation of the plan. The studies leveraged several recruitment channels: 1) community settings (Place of worship, “community recruiter”, health fairs, word of mouth, & healthcare providers/doctors’ clinics), 2) online platforms (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Research Match), and 3) preexisting datasets in NYC. Results All three studies successfully met recruitment goals. ESSENTIAL [n= 224, 69% females, mean age= 36], MOSAIC [n=109, 61% females; mean age= 64] and Latinx/Hispanics: DORMIR[n=260, 61.3% of female; 32.4]. Among the three NYC cohorts, the most common recruitment channels were: preexisting datasets (74%), community settings (19%), & online platform (7%) for ESSENTIAL; preexisting datasets (85%) & community settings (15%) for MOSAIC, and (71.7%) online platform for DORMIR. However, the Miami cohorts came mostly from community settings 90% for Essential and 97% for MOSAIC. Conclusion Overall, the TSCS community outreach plan seems to be an effective tool to engage minoritized populations in greater NY and Miami. Our current field experience indicates that recruitment channels must be adapted to age, and community resources. Limited access to technology, particularly among older Blacks seem to be a major barrier for field staff to successfully engage the disenfranchised communities. Support (If Any) NIH R01HL142066-04; R01HL152453-01 R01HL142066, R01HL095799, RO1MD004113

Bringing Health Care Equity to Diverse and Underserved Populations in Sleep Medicine and Research Through a Digital Health Equity Framework

“…Greater exposure to environmental risk factors for poor sleep among racial/ethnic minorities living in disadvantaged neighborhoods Implementing a multilevel approach to reducing ecological factors that disturb sleep, such as inadequate light, noise, allergens and irritants, and air pollution. Suggestions of limitations or suppression of all sources of inadequate light, noise, allergen, irritants, and air pollution during the sleep period in identified communities Determinants of Insufficient Sleep Among Blacks, and Effects on Disparities in Health Outcomes (ESSENTIAL) Study The study aims to ascertain the psychosocial (social network and psychological health) and environmental determinants (social capital, neighborhood, and built environment) of insufficient sleep Mechanisms of Sleep Deficiency and Effects on Brain Injury and Neurocognitive Functions Among Older Blacks (MOSAIC) study The purpose of this study was to assess the determinants of sleep deficiency and delineate their potential role in explaining observed disparities in the brain health of older Black people, indexed by novel Alzheimer disease (AD) brain biomarkers and examinations of cognitive impairment in a multicultural community sample Determinants of Insufficient Sleep in Rural-Urban Settings (DORMIR) study This study provides multilevel evidence supporting epidemiological findings of greater rates of insufficient sleep among Latinos/as that may explain their disproportionate burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) risk; the findings can lead to actionable clinical, lifestyle, and policy interventions to improve health 19 Adults 3. A higher rate of short sleep duration increases cardiovascular risk among individuals of African descent and other minorities Adopt a multilevel community-oriented sleep health and promotion education campaign (eg, PEERS-ED, TASHE, and MetSO) Provide incentives to corporate wellness programs that promote sleep and population health among racial/ethnic communities Metabolic Syndrome Outcome Study (MetSO) The MetSO trial has shown that phone-delivered sleep education addressing impediments to OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) care among Blacks was successful in increasing OSA evaluation; the trial demonstrated that tailored OSA education is critical to increasing adherence to recommended OSA care Tailored Approach to Sleep Health Education (TASHE) In the TASHE trial, the authors found that Web-based sleep education significantly increased OSA self-efficacy among Blacks PEERS-ED This randomized controlled trial examined the role of congruent peer sleep educators and social support PEERS-ED in navigating Blacks seeking OSA care 7 4.…”