Recruiting and retaining nulliparous individuals with a family history of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy to participate in scientific research prior to pregnancy: The Sisterhood Study

Abstract

IntroductionRecruiting women with a family history (FH) of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) to participate in research before pregnancy could offer insight into genetic and lifestyle factors that incur higher risk of cardiovascular disease during pregnancy and throughout the life course. MethodsThe Sisterhood Study piloted low-touch, remote recruitment strategies that relied on women with a history of preeclampsia to share study information with family and friends. It aimed to enroll 150 women with a FH of HDP and 150 controls. ResultsThe study recruited 328 women (104 with a FH of HDP, 131 without a FH, and 93 with unknown FH) prior to pregnancy. The majority identified as non-Hispanic White (74.7 %) and had >high school education (91.8 %). DiscussionAlthough the population was enriched with nulliparous women with a FH of HDP, it was not sufficient to recruit a diverse cohort large enough to meet the study aim.