Retention Strategies in Longitudinal Studies With Emerging Adults

Abstract

Purpose/Objectives The purpose of this report is to describe retention strategies that were useful and those that were not in a longitudinal study of emerging adults. Background of Project A longitudinal study examining the transition to young adulthood among emerging adults with type 1 diabetes, which had success in retention, provided the context for describing retention strategies. Rationale A challenge in longitudinally designed studies is retention of participants since their loss decreases power for statistical analysis. Given that emerging adulthood is a period of instability, retention is particularly challenging among this population. However, longitudinal studies are the best way to understand developmental changes, and it is also important to increase our knowledge of health outcomes during emerging adulthood. Description Retention strategies used in the study are described, including promoting a positive relationship with participants, maintaining contact with participants, having a study staff with good interpersonal skills, using incentives, conveying respect for participants, and employing user-friendly data collection. Outcomes Useful strategies to promote a positive relationship included sending cards and newsletters to participants, maintaining consistency of contact person, and expressing appreciation for participant's time and effort. Useful strategies for maintaining contact with participants included obtaining contact information at every data collection point, maintaining birthdates and chart numbers in tracking data bases, monitoring returned mail, and using Web search engines. Other useful strategies were providing incentives to participants, employing staff with good interpersonal skills, providing participants with choices when appropriate, and employing user-friendly data collection. One strategy, using contests, was not found useful. Conclusions Despite the challenges of conducting longitudinally designed studies with emerging adults, multiple retention strategies can be employed that are useful to retention. Implications It is feasible to conduct longitudinal studies with emerging adults despite the challenges.

Long‐Term Health Implications of Students’ Friendship Formation during the Transition to University

“…Participants were recruited for a study about first-year experiences (see Study 2 of Whillans, Christie, Cheung, Jordan, & Chen, 2017, for details); all participants who completed the first wave of data collection and who agreed to be recontacted in the future (N = 289) were invited to take part in the follow-up 2-3 years later. Consistent with prior literature (Hanna, Scott, & Schmidt, 2014), retention after such an extended period was a challenge; however, the final sample used in this manuscript consisted of 67 students in their third (38.8%) or fourth (61.2%) undergraduate year (see Table 1 for descriptives of the sample). Importantly, participants who returned for the follow-up did not differ significantly from participants who did not return, with respect to psychosocial and sociodemographic variables (T1 and T2; see online supplement 1 Table S3 for descriptive and inferential statistics).…”

Methodology approaches and challenges in population‐based longitudinal study of a neuroprotective model for healthy longevity

“…In addition, providing convenient locations and incentives to encourage participation, regularly monitoring the progress of field workers and maintaining good relationships with respondents were other strategies to maintain communication with respondents. 20 In the present study, however, some of the methods implemented in the previous, study such as communicating through email, was not practical because most of the respondents did not have email addresses.…”

“…For example, using comprehensive contact logs, including a current address, telephone numbers (home and/or cellphone) and e‐mail address of each participant, as well as the address and telephone numbers of the next of kin or friends to assist in tracking respondents’ whereabouts. In addition, providing convenient locations and incentives to encourage participation, regularly monitoring the progress of field workers and maintaining good relationships with respondents were other strategies to maintain communication with respondents . In the present study, however, some of the methods implemented in the previous, study such as communicating through email, was not practical because most of the respondents did not have email addresses.…”

“…Authors from previous research have reported a variety of methods to increase follow‐up rates in longitudinal studies . For example, using comprehensive contact logs, including a current address, telephone numbers (home and/or cellphone) and e‐mail address of each participant, as well as the address and telephone numbers of the next of kin or friends to assist in tracking respondents’ whereabouts.…”

“…Authors from previous research have reported a variety of methods to increase follow-up rates in longitudinal studies. 20 For example, using comprehensive contact logs, including a current address, telephone numbers (home and/or cellphone) and e-mail address of each participant, as well as the address and telephone numbers of the next of kin or friends to assist in tracking respondents' whereabouts. In addition, providing convenient locations and incentives to encourage participation, regularly monitoring the progress of field workers and maintaining good relationships with respondents were other strategies to maintain communication with respondents.…”