Abstract 11714: Strategies for Recruiting Young African American Men for Research

Abstract

Introduction: African American (AA) men experience the highest rates of premature mortality and disability than other race/ethnic groups. Stroke is the 8th leading cause of death among young AA men and increases to the 3rd leading cause for older AA men. Despite these realities, AA men continue to be underrepresented in research. Purpose: To develop and evaluate a targeted recruitment plan for the Stroke Counseling for Risk Reduction in Men (SCORRE-M) project. Methods: A recruitment plan was developed from the researchers’ prior experiences with this population and a review of the literature to identify successful strategies for recruiting AA men for research. The plan was then implemented to recruit AA men, aged 20-35 years, who lived in Georgia and had at least one modifiable risk factor for stroke, to participate in a focus group study to assess their thoughts about stroke and the SCORRE intervention. The goal was to conduct six virtual focus groups of 6-8 men. Respondents who completed the screening survey were asked how they learned about the study and focus group participants were asked what recommendations they had for recruiting young AA men for research. Results: Recruitment occurred over 6 weeks. The 81 screening survey respondents were reached by word-of-mouth including snowball sampling (42%), social media (28%), flyers (e-mailed, handouts, posted; 20%), and through prior study participation (7%). Of the 81 respondents, 26 were ineligible (e.g., no risk factors, non-GA resident, age), 41 consented and 32 completed a focus group. During the focus groups, participants recommended incentives (e.g., gift cards, extra credit for students) and using social media to recruit young AA men for future research. They also suggested that learning about the study from a friend, colleague or study participant could motivate participation. Conclusion: The recruitment plan was successful in reaching young AA men and enrolling an adequate sample to reach saturation. The findings highlight the importance of social networks and trusted sources for considering research participation. Findings will be used to refine the recruitment plan to implement in a study testing the SCORRE-M intervention in 80 young AA men at risk of stroke.