Comparison of recruitment, retention, and compliance results for three children's exposure monitoring studies

Abstract

The School Health Initiative: Environment, Learning, Disease (SHIELD) study, the Minnesota Children's Pesticide Exposure Study (MNCPES), and the National Cooperative Inner-City Asthma Study (NCICAS) are three of the most intensive and invasive exposure-monitoring projects ever undertaken in children. An intrinsic facet of each study was the need to recruit children and their families, retain them for the duration of the project, and ensure that they completed monitoring protocols successfully. All of the studies used fiscal incentives to encourage participation, retention, and compliance. Recruitment rates varied from 40% in MNCPES, to 57% in SHIELD, to 64% in NCICAS, while retention rates varied from 85% in SHIELD, to 94% in MNCPES, to 95% in NCICAS. Rates of compliance with exposure sampling procedures were typically 480% for each study. For example, Z85% of the enrolled children provided all requested urine samples (1 for NCICAS, 2 for SHIELD, 3 for MNCPES), and 82% of the children in SHIELD provided two out of two blood samples (optional in MNCPES and NCICAS). However, compliance rates were substantially lower (34% SHIELD, 40% NCICAS, not applicable to MNCPES) for the more complex and time-consuming protocol used to collect peak flow data. Overall, results demonstrate that it is practical and affordable to conduct demanding exposure-monitoring studies in children, including children from poor minority communities.

Using exposure biomarkers in children to compare between-child and within-child variance and calculate correlations among siblings for multiple environmental chemicals

“…In year 2, 79% were reenrolled, 94% were retained till the end of the study, and 487% provided requested blood and urine samples. The study design and research methods have been described in more detail in previous articles Sexton, 2005). …”

Biomarker Measurements of Concurrent Exposure to Multiple Environmental Chemicals and Chemical Classes in Children

“…The SHIELD study measured biologic markers of exposure to multiple environmental chemicals for a sample of children aged 7-12 years attending elementary school in a low-income, racially mixed, inner-city area Downloaded by [Umeå University Library] at 22:10 17 November 2014 of south Minneapolis, MN Sexton 2005). Previously published articles have reported on the study design Sexton 2005) and on exposures to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) (Sexton et al 2004b) and VOC (Adgate et al 2004;Sexton et al 2005).…”

“…Previously published articles have reported on the study design Sexton 2005) and on exposures to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) (Sexton et al 2004b) and VOC (Adgate et al 2004;Sexton et al 2005). The SHIELD study was approved by the University of Minnesota Research Subjects Protection Program Institutional Review Board, Human Subjects Committee.…”

“…More than 75% of the children attending each school received either free or reduced-cost meals through the National School Lunch/Breakfast Program. A detailed description of socioeconomic characteristics of the study population, as well as data on recruitment, retention, and compliance results, were published previously Sexton 2005).…”

Issues in Design and Implementation in an Urban Birth Cohort Study: The Syracuse AUDIT Project

“…Recognized barriers to participation include lack of telephones, frequent address changes, inability to speak English and failure to keep appointments. 36 To maximize enrollment and retention, an intensely personal approach by the study's family nurse practitioner (GH), was extended during all phases of the study, from recruiting to maintaining contact and relationship, not just with mothers, but with their extended families, obstetric offices, delivery hospitals and pediatric providers as well. Her prior work experiences in the community and her fluency in Spanish also were instrumental in this effort.…”