The National Children’s Study: Recruitment Outcomes Using an Enhanced Household-Based Approach

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Ten National Children's Study (NCS) study locations with diverse demographic characteristics used an enhanced household-based recruitment (EHBR) approach to enroll preconceptional and pregnant women. Study centers used different types and dosages of community outreach and engagement (COE) activities and supplemental strategies. The goal of the study was to determine whether variability in enumeration and recruitment outcomes correlated with study location characteristics or types and dosages of COE activities (number of COE events, number of advance household mailings, total media expenditures, and total COE expenditures). METHODS:Each of the sites provided data on COE activities, protocol implementation, supplemental recruitment activities, location demographic characteristics, and enumeration/recruitment outcomes.RESULTS: COE activities varied across sites in breadth and scope. Numerous strategies were used, including media advertising, social media, participation in community-wide events, presentations to stakeholders, and creation of advisory boards. Some sites included supplemental recruitment efforts. EHBR sites enrolled 1404 women at the initial pregnancy screening. No significant relationships were found between study location demographic characteristics or between the types and dosages of COE activities and recruitment outcomes.CONCLUSIONS: Probability sampling for a long-term study requires a positive image with stakeholders and within communities; this requirement may be especially true for door-to-door recruitment. EHBR sites successfully recruited a representative sample of preconceptional and pregnant women. Sites reported implementing similar COE activities but with varying dosage and cost; however, analyses did not support a benefit of COE strategies on study recruitment.

Effectiveness of community outreach and engagement in recruitment success for a prebirth cohort

“…Based on early results, a decision was made to evaluate additional recruitment strategies in an Alternate Recruitment Substudy (ARS), which began November 2010. The ARS evaluated three different recruitment strategies in 30 additional locations: Direct Outreach (DO) [15], Enhanced Household-Based Recruitment (EHBR) [16], and Provider-Based Recruitment (PBR) [17]. The DO strategy recruited women using community outreach and engagement, including direct mailing.…”

“…data are presented for descriptive purposes only, not as a basis for comparison across ARS strategies. Details about demographic characteristics of samples compared with local populations have been presented elsewhere[14][15][16][17].…”

The National Children's Study Archive Model: A 3-Tier Framework for Dissemination of Data and Specimens for General Use and Secondary Analysis

“…The ARS was designed to evaluate three recruitment strategies: Direct Outreach, Enhanced Household Enumeration, and Provider-Based Recruitment (PBR). Each strategy was conducted in 10 study locations ( 3 – 5 ). Recruitment under the three ARS strategies ended in February 2012.…”

Developing and evaluating a model of public involvement and engagement embedded in a national longitudinal study: HealthWise Wales

“…In the USA, the National Children’s Study invested in community engagement and engaged with key local stakeholders as a strategy to optimise recruitment to a population study prior to approaching pregnant and potential pregnant women to participate in the study. Study centres employed community outreach and engagement officers, who spent up to two years arranging activities, events and also enlisted the help of trusted local ambassadors to promote the study and build trust with local people, to maximise recruitment [ 10 ].…”