Recruitment Interview Research Articles

4442 CTSA Recruitment Resources: An Inventory of What CTSA Hubs Are Currently Offering

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: The objective of this project was to determine the research volunteer recruitment capabilities and methodologies currently utilized by CTSA Hubs in order to disseminate recruitment best practices and create collaborations across institutions. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: The CTSA Recruitment and Retention working group developed a REDCap survey to collect information about what participant recruitment and retention resources and processes are being used at CTSA institutions to support investigators. It was distributed to CTSAs between May and July 2019. The survey, consisting of over 50 multiple choice and short answer questions, is an updated version of a 2016 survey. Institutions reported on registry use, feasibility assessment use, clinical trial listings, experience recruiting special populations, program operations and evaluation, workforce education, social media use and other recruitment resources. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: 40 of the 64 CTSA institutions completed the survey. Almost all of those responding are providing investigators access to a registry either favoring their institutional registry (45%) or ResearchMatch (34%) with most (85%) leveraging ResearchMatch to some extent. Over 80% of the CTSAs are providing investigators recruitment consultations, feasibility assessments, study listings, and EMR Utilization. 73% of the CTSAs are assisting with study materials with 47% offering social media assistance. Additionally, over half the respondents indicated they were successful recruiting healthy volunteers, patients, seniors, pregnant women, minors, low-income populations and underrepresented minorities; however, most found recruiting non or limited English speaking persons and rural populations challenging. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: A variety of recruitment and retention resources exist across CTSA institutions, and this inventory serves as a way to compile these services and foster collaboration across institutions. Additionally, it allows CTSAs to identify services not currently being offered that could improve outcomes while also creating opportunities for collaboration.

Practice and Exploration of Interview in Hospital Public Recruitment

Afterentering the era of economic knowledge, for the development of enterprises, the role of human resources in enterprise development is more important than material resources, for which, hospitals have no exception. With the continuous development of the society and the continuous progress of the medical industry, in order to meet the medical service needs of the general public, hospitals must expand their scale, which requires seeking more human resources. The interview is a very important link in the hospital’s public recruitment. The author explores and analyzes the current situation of the practice and application of interview, and puts forward the practical application and exploration strategy of the interview in hospital public recruitment, hoping to help improve the hospital's human resources.

CTSA recruitment resources: An inventory of what CTSA hubs are currently offering.

In order to tackle the challenge of efficiently meeting clinical research accrual goals, many Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) recipients have developed recruitment support mechanisms and resources to help investigators successfully recruit study participants. Disseminating recruitment best practices and developing collaborations between institutions can help strengthen recruitment capabilities and methodologies currently utilized by researchers. To discover what recruitment resources and mechanisms CTSAs are using, the CTSA Recruitment and Retention working group developed an electronic survey, which was distributed to CTSAs between May and July 2019. The survey contained over 50 multiple choice and short answer questions, with 40 of the 64 CTSA institutions completing the survey. Institutions reported on registries, feasibility assessment tools, clinical trial listings, experience recruiting special populations, program operations and evaluation, workforce education, social media use, and other recruitment resources. All respondents currently utilize some form of a volunteer registry; over 80% of the CTSAs provide investigators with recruitment consultations, feasibility assessments, study listings, and electronic health record (EHR) utilization; 73% assist with study materials; 47% offer social media assistance. Many institutions reported success in recruiting patients and healthy volunteers, but difficulty in recruiting special populations such as non-English-speaking persons and rural populations. Additional recruitment tools included use of the EHR to facilitate recruitment, use of registries, and use of social media to engage participants. Areas of opportunity or growth include the development of innovative solutions in the areas of social media advertising, identification of participants from special populations, and research volunteer engagement.

Energy Efficiency Education and Training: Australian Lessons on What Employers Want—Or Need

This paper explores current approaches and future directions for energy efficiency education and training in the tertiary sector. Energy efficiency is a significant element in many jobs across the economy, with potential for substantial growth. It crosses disciplinary boundaries, as the range of skills and knowledge required by practitioners is broad, reflecting the diversity and expanding range of work roles that require energy efficiency skills and knowledge. Limitations of education and training contribute to a situation where business and consumer decision-making often involves little or no consideration of energy, so outcomes are often sub-optimal. This increases costs, environmental and social impacts and undermines productivity improvement. As the significance of energy efficiency skills and knowledge in workplaces increases, more flexible and varied education and training models are needed to allow workers to upskill, gain new skills and integrate energy efficiency into business models. The paper discusses the barriers to adoption of more comprehensive energy efficiency content in programs and presents options for inclusion. The paper concludes that, in order to capture the potential of energy efficiency to contribute to a productive, sustainable economy, appropriate teaching resources and certification must be developed and introduced across most disciplines, while employers and recruitment consultants must be informed of the benefits, so they value energy efficiency skills and qualifications.

Investigation of informed consent procedures initiated in the intrapartum period

Background When research involves procedures initiated in the intrapartum period, there is considerable variation in information provision. If midwives are to optimise the process of information provision and facilitate good understanding of the research, we need to understand how information is currently being provided. Aim To investigate the feasibility and acceptability of an approach to investigating information provision for informed consent to research involving interventions initiated during the intrapartum period. Methods Audio recordings of seven study recruitment consultations and six structured interviews were transcribed and analysed to construct a ‘hints and tips’ for recruitment document for midwives. Findings Most women and three out of five midwives agreed to audio-recording consultations. All participants confirmed the acceptability of audio-recording recruitment consultations. Midwives varied in their experiences. Conclusion This approach to exploring the informed consent processes is feasible and acceptable to women and midwives. Findings will inform further investigation of information provision in the ASSIST II study.

Enhancing communication, informed consent and recruitment in a paediatric urgent care surgical trial: a qualitative study

BackgroundRecruiting patients to paediatric trials can be challenging, especially in trials that compare markedly different management pathways and are conducted in acute settings. We aimed to enhance informed consent and recruitment in the CONTRACT trial (CONservative TReatment of Appendicitis in Children a randomised controlled Trial; ISRCTN15830435) – a feasibility trial that compared non-operative treatment (antibiotics) versus appendicectomy for uncomplicated acute appendicitis.MethodsQualitative study embedded within CONTRACT and conducted across three UK children’s hospitals. Data were transcribed audio-recordings of 85 CONTRACT recruitment consultations with 58 families; and semi-structured interviews with 35 health professionals and 28 families (34 parents, 14 children) invited to participate in CONTRACT. Data analysis drew on thematic approaches. Throughout CONTRACT, we used findings from the ongoing qualitative analysis to inform bespoke communication training for health professionals recruiting to CONTRACT. Before and after training we also examined qualitative changes in communication during consultations and quantitative changes in recruitment rates.ResultsBespoke communication training focussed on presenting the trial arms in a balanced way, emphasising clinical equipoise, exploring family treatment preferences and managing families’ expectations about the trial’s treatment pathways. Analysis of recruitment consultations indicated that health professionals’ presentation of treatment arms became increasingly balanced following training, (e.g. avoiding imbalanced terminology) and recruitment rose from 38 to 62%. However, they remained reluctant to explore families’ treatment preferences and respond with further information to balance these preferences. Analyses of interviews identified the time constraints of the urgent care setting, concerns about coercion, and reservations about exposing children to conversations about treatment risks as reasons for this reluctance. Interviews with families indicated the importance of clear explanations of trial treatment timings and sensitive communication of treatment allocation for both recruitment and retention.ConclusionsFollowing bespoke training based on the qualitative analyses, health professionals presented CONTRACT to families in clearer and more balanced ways and this was associated with an increase in the recruitment rate. Despite training, health professionals remained reluctant to explore families’ treatment preferences. We provide several recommendations to enhance communication, informed consent, recruitment and retention in future trials in urgent care settings.

Applying Anthropology on the Journey Towards Self-Directed Learning and Community Advocacy

Abstract Anthropologist, health disparities researcher, health services administration faculty, community health worker trainer, evaluator, board co-chair, research center director, grant writer, special populations recruitment consultant, Montessori teacher educator, breastfeeding advocate, school wellness evaluator and advocate, unschooling parent of four, health leadership fellow—one could never have drawn me a road map of where I would be and what I would be doing. This paper will offer insights on a career and personal path that diverged from a traditional academic one and emerged in response to the needs of community, the opportunities presented, and a flexibility that sees applications of anthropology everywhere.

Results of the feasibility phase of the managed activity graded exercise in teenagers and pre-adolescents (MAGENTA) randomised controlled trial of treatments for chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis

BackgroundChronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) is relatively common in young people and causes significant disability. Graded exercise therapy (GET) and activity management are recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) despite a limited evidence-base for either treatment in paediatric CFS/ME. This paper reports on feasibility and acceptability measures from the feasibility phase of the ongoing MAGENTA randomised controlled trial (RCT) investigating GET versus activity management for young people with CFS/ME.MethodsSetting: Three specialist secondary care National Health Service (NHS) Paediatric CFS/ME services (Bath, Cambridge and Newcastle).Participants: Young people aged 8–17 years with a diagnosis of mild to moderate CFS/ME. Young people were excluded if they were severely affected, referred to cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) at initial assessment or unable to attend clinical sessions.Interventions: GET and activity management delivered by physiotherapists, occupational therapists, nurses and psychologists. Families and clinicians decided the number (typically 8–12) and frequency of appointments (typically every 2–6 weeks).Outcome Measures: Recruitment and follow-up statistics. We used integrated qualitative methodology to explore the feasibility and acceptability of the trial processes and the interventions.Results80/161 (49.7%) of eligible young people were recruited at two sites between September 2015 and August 2016, indicating recruitment to the trial was feasible. Most recruitment (78/80; 97.5%) took place at one centre. Recruitment consultations, online consent and interventions were acceptable, with less than 10% in each arm discontinuing trial treatment. Response rate to the primary outcome (the SF36-PFS at 6 months) was 91.4%. Recruitment, treatment and data collection were not feasible at one centre. The site was withdrawn from the study.In response to data collected, we optimised trial processes including using Skype for recruitment discussions; adapting recruiter training to improve recruitment discussions; amending the accelerometer information leaflets; shortening the resource use questionnaires; and offering interventions via Skype. These amendments have been incorporated into the full trial protocol.ConclusionsConducting an RCT investigating GET versus activity management is feasible and acceptable for young people with CFS/ME.Trial registrationISRCTN23962803 https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN23962803, date of registration: 03 September 2015

Measuring employees' psychological capital using data mining approach

In this research, the logistic regression model was employed to develop a classifier that measures psychological capital of workers in organization. Psychological capital (PsyCap) is the positive state of an individual, comprising of self‐efficacy, optimism, hope, and resilience. Employees with high psychological capital contribute positively to objectives and business strategy of an organization. An experimental dataset comprising of the psychological capital information of 329 employees in an organization was used to fit a data mining classification model. To ensure model accuracy, 220 observations were used as training set, whereas 109 were set aside to validate the model. Various statistical tests for goodness of fit and predictive accuracy were deployed to test model performance. The model has the ability to classify an individual's psychological capital into either high or low class with a predictive accuracy of 93%. The classification model is expected to serve as a tool in human resource management when measuring psychological capital of employees during recruitment interviews and promotion appraisals.

Why Should I Really Consider This? The Rhetoric of Patient Motives in Phase 1 Cancer Clinical Trial Consultations

Phase 1 cancer clinical trial consultations are fraught with ethical and rhetorical issues. Phase 1 trials are designed to test the toxicity, and not the efficacy, of therapeutic agents. Fewer than 5% of patients benefit from their participation in a Phase 1 trial, and over 75% of experimental drugs do not become approved cancer medicines. Bioethicists have long debated the ethics of recruitment consultations for Phase 1 trials solely in terms of the need for patients to make a rational decision based upon enough information to avoid what are called therapeutic misconceptions and/or unrealistic optimism as motivations to participate in Phase 1 trials. We argue here, however, that the ethical challenges in Phase 1 consultations go beyond providing information about the (unknown) risks and (unanticipated) benefits of a Phase 1 clinical trial. In this article, we present a rhetorically oriented case study of a Phase 1 consultation, followed by a rhetorically informed critique of the rationality of bioethics. We use Lauren Berlant’s (2011) concept of “cruel optimism” to develop a more complete account of the rhetorical and ethical nexus of patient motivations in Phase 1 consultations by creating a discursive space to explore the concerns, hopes, and motivations of cancer patients considering participation in the earliest phase of clinical research in cancer medicine. The goal of our study is to propose a framework aimed at achieving Lisa Keranen’s (2007) concept of relational integrity applied to Phase 1 consultations.

Effects of recruiter friendliness and job attribute information on recruitment outcomes

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to gain a better understanding of the effects of recruiter friendliness and both verifiable and non-verifiable job attributes in the recruitment process.Design/methodology/approachIn total, 498 participants watched a videoed simulation of a recruitment interview and completed a questionnaire. Three-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test the interaction and main effect hypotheses.FindingsApplicant reactions were more favorable with a friendly recruiter. The more favorable the verifiable job attribute information (JAI), the more favorable the applicant reactions were to the employment opportunity. Compared to applicants who received negative or no non-verifiable JAI, applicants who received positive or mixed non-verifiable JAI were more attracted to the recruiter, perceived the employment opportunity as more desirable, and were more willing to pursue the employment opportunity. Reactions were most favorable in the positive non-verifiable JAI condition, less favorable in the mixed condition, and least favorable in the negative condition. Surprisingly, the “no information” mean was above the negative information condition.Originality/valueThis fully crossed 2 × 3 × 4 experiment simultaneously examined 2 levels of recruiter friendliness, 3 levels of verifiable job attributes and 4 levels of non-verifiable job attributes. The five dependent variables were attraction to the recruiter, attraction to the employment opportunity, willingness to pursue the employment opportunity, the perceived probability of receiving a job offer and the number of positive inferences made about unknown organizational characteristics. Previous research examining the effects of employment inducements and job attributes were conducted in field settings where it is difficult to control the amount and favorability of JAI applicants receive.

A loaded self-managed exercise programme for patellofemoral pain: a mixed methods feasibility study

BackgroundA novel loaded self-managed exercise programme that includes pain education and self-management strategies may result in better outcomes for people with patellofemoral pain (PFP). However, establishing program feasibility is an essential first step before testing efficacy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of conducting a definitive RCT which will evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of a loaded self-managed exercise programme for people with PFP compared with usual physiotherapy.MethodsIn a mixed methods, pragmatic, randomised controlled feasibility study, 60 participants with PFP (57% female; mean age 29 years) were recruited from a physiotherapy clinic within a large UK teaching hospital. They were randomly allocated to receive either a loaded self-managed exercise programme (n = 30) or usual physiotherapy (n = 30). Feasibility indicators of process, resources, and management were collected through follow-up of standardised questionnaires six months after recruitment and semi-structured interviews with 20 participants and physiotherapists.ResultsRecruitment rate was 5 participants per month; consent rate was 99%; adherence to intervention appointments was 87%; completeness of questionnaire data was 100%; and adherence to intervention delivery was 95%.Three exercise diaries were returned at six months (5%). At six months, 25 questionnaire booklets were returned (9 in the loaded self-managed group, 16 in the usual physiotherapy group), with a total retention rate of 42%.At six months, 56% (5/9) of respondents in the loaded self-managed group and 56% (9/16) in the usual physiotherapy group were classified as ‘recovered’.Both groups demonstrated improvements in average pain (VAS), kinesiophobia, pain catastrophizing, general self-efficacy and EQ-5D-5 L from baseline to six months.ConclusionThe results of this feasibility study confirm that it is feasible and acceptable to deliver a loaded self-managed exercise programme to adults with PFP in an NHS physiotherapy outpatient setting. However, between group differences in lost to follow up and poor exercise diary completion mean we are uncertain on some feasibility aspects. These methodological issues need addressing prior to conducting a definitive RCT.Trial registrationISRCTN 35272486. Registered 19th December 2016.

Exploring experiences of people participation activities in a British national health service trust: a service user-led research project

BackgroundPeople participation teams are being established in many British NHS Trusts. They support active service user involvement in staff recruitment interviews, in evaluations of care and in programmes to improve services. No studies exploring experience of people involved in these activities are available in published mental health literature. In this project we explored benefits experienced and suggestions for improvement provided by service users.MethodsThe design, materials and methods of the project were developed in workshops including N = 15 service users. Three service user researchers were trained to carry out research interviews and qualitative analysis of the data. They were responsible for the management of the project on a day-to-day basis with weekly supervision by academic researchers and authored this paper. The service user researchers interviewed people with at least 1 year of experience of being involved in a People Participation team activities. Interviews were based on a topic guide, which was developed in workshops with a larger number of service users (N = 15) and explored reasons for joining the group, how participation helped recovery and suggestions for service improvement.ResultsFifteen service users were recruited and interviewed. Reasons for joining the group were identified: to “give back” to the service, to influence service change, curiosity, desire to meet like-minded people and to structure the day. Benefits reported included: sharing experiences, improving self-confidence, feeling valued, having a better understanding of services, overcoming personal fears, and developing better coping mechanisms for psychological difficulties. Being involved in People Participation activities helped to gain or refresh listening and interpersonal skills, communication skills, public speaking and creative skills and to develop better ways to cope with conflict. Suggestions for improvement were focused on changing staff attitudes, further promoting participation (e.g. through websites), simplifying payment procedures and establishing a moving-on support system to help people to access regular employment and gain full social inclusion.ConclusionsOur findings showed that People Participation initiatives can have benefits at least for some patients and help their recovery through a positive effect on self-confidence, providing room for feeling valued and for obtaining or refreshing personal skills. This provides support for the development and refinement of People Participation Teams and for larger scale research to test their effects.

Artificial Intelligence: A Technological Prototype in Recruitment

Purpose: The study is conducted to evaluate the adaptability of artificial intelligence in recruitment and to assess the effect of this technology on the performance of the employees. Design/Methodology/Approach: Standard Multiple Linear regression model is used to predict the performance of the employees and one-way ANOVA is used to compare the artificial intelligence based recruitment with performance indicating variables namely reliability, productivity, Automation, Gamification & Training using SPSS. Snowball sampling method has been adopted for a sample size of 440 respondents working in leading recruitment consultancies in urban Bangalore. Findings: There is a greater association between the recruitment and performance variables when artificial intelligence is adopted as it is significant at 0.001 per cent level and productivity being the maximum. However, the impact of implementing gamification for recruitment doesn’t have a significant impact on the output due to partial significant effect on the adoption as (p = 0.046 < 0.05). Value of “R” is 0.604 and the coefficient of determination is 0.365. Productivity, Training, Automation & Reliability are the significant predictors of the performance in employees. Originality/Value: Artificial intelligence has emerged as a boon to the recruiters by automating the repetitive tasks, administrative tasks. Intelligent screening helps in automating resume screening, recruiter Chatbots for real-time candidate engagement, and digitization of interviews. This promotes pro-active strategic decision making better by the recruiters.

Clinical Utility of Beck Anxiety Inventory in Clinical and Nonclinical Korean Samples.

Despite the prominent use of the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) in primary healthcare systems, few studies have confirmed its diagnostic utility and psychometric properties in non-Western countries. This study aims to clarify the clinical utility of the BAI as a screening tool for anxiety disorders according to DSM-IV criteria, based on blind recruitment and diagnostic interviews of both clinical and non-clinical participants in the Korean population. A total of 1,157 participants were involved in the final psychometric analysis, which included correlational analysis with other anxiety and depression self-report measures and mean score comparison with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). ROC analysis and calculation of positive and negative predictive values were conducted to examine diagnostic utility. The BAI was found to have high correlations with depression-related self-report measures (0.747–0.796) and moderate to high correlations with anxiety-related self-report measures (0.518–0.776). The ROC analysis failed to provide cutoff scores with adequate sensitivity and specificity for identifying participants with anxiety disorders (85.0% sensitivity, 88.1% specificity, and 92.8% AUC). The comparison of BAI and BDI mean scores for different diagnostic groups revealed that BAI and BDI scores were higher in the depressive or anxiety disorders group than in the non-clinical group. However, BAI mean score was not higher for the anxiety-only group than the depression-only group. Our data supports the BAI reliability and validity as a tool to measure the severity of general anxiety in clinical and non-clinical populations; however, it fails to capture the unique characteristics of anxiety disorders that distinguish them from depressive disorders. Further clinical implications of the BAI based on these results and some limitations of the study are discussed.

Impression management within the recruitment interview: Narratives of employees at a South African higher education institution

Orientation: Job interviews remain a popular platform on which organisations source talent. Interviewees seek to make an impression in interviews to influence the decision to be hired.Research purpose: The study explores why and how impression management manifests within the recruitment interview setting.Motivation for the study: Calls exist within the local and international literature for studies that explore the concept of impression management further as a basis to improve activities such as recruitment and selection.Research approach, design/method: An interpretivist research paradigm using the qualitative approach and the exploratory research design was utilised. In-depth interviews with 20 employees at a South African higher education institution were conducted. Narrative analysis formed the basis of the data analysis by adopting the three levels of the meaning-making approach used in previous studies.Main findings: Two major narratives emerged. Firstly, when exploring why impression management occurs in the recruitment interview, the strategising behaviour was identified. Secondly, when exploring how impression management occurs in the recruitment interview, the switching behaviour was identified.Practical/managerial implications: The study provides information that organisational strategists and recruiters can use to enhance not only the recruitment process but also the decisions informed by such processes.Contribution/value-add: This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge in an area of study that has received scant empirical focus locally and internationally. This can be a catalyst for future research on impression management.

Overcoming difficulties with equipoise to enable recruitment to a randomised controlled trial of partial ablation vs radical prostatectomy for unilateral localised prostate cancer.

ObjectiveTo describe how clinicians conceptualised equipoise in the PART (Partial prostate Ablation vs Radical prosTatectomy in intermediate‐risk unilateral clinically localised prostate cancer) feasibility study and how this affected recruitment.Subjects and Methods PART included a QuinteT Recruitment Intervention (QRI) to optimise recruitment. Phase I aimed to understand recruitment, and included: scrutinising recruitment data, interviewing the trial management group and recruiters (n = 13), and audio‐recording recruitment consultations (n = 64). Data were analysed using qualitative content and thematic analysis methods. In Phase II, strategies to improve recruitment were developed and delivered.ResultsInitially many recruiters found it difficult to maintain a position of equipoise and held preconceptions about which treatment was best for particular patients. They did not feel comfortable about approaching all eligible patients, and when the study was discussed, biases were conveyed through the use of terminology, poorly balanced information, and direct treatment recommendations. Individual and group feedback led to presentations to patients becoming clearer and enabled recruiters to reconsider their sense of equipoise. Although the precise impact of the QRI alone cannot be determined, recruitment increased (from a mean [range] of 1.4 [0–4] to 4.5 [0–12] patients/month) and the feasibility study reached its recruitment target.ConclusionAlthough clinicians find it challenging to recruit patients to a trial comparing different contemporary treatments for prostate cancer, training and support can enable recruiters to become more comfortable with conveying equipoise and providing clearer information to patients.

The Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (FITS) 2016: Study Design and Methods

BackgroundDiet and feeding patterns during the infant, toddler, and preschool years affect nutrient adequacy or excess during critical developmental periods. Understanding food consumption, feeding practices, and nutrient adequacy or excess during these periods is essential to establishing appropriate recommendations aimed at instilling healthy eating behaviors in children.ObjectiveThe objective of the 2016 Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (FITS 2016) was to update our knowledge on the diets and feeding patterns of young children and to provide new data in related areas such as feeding behaviors, sleep, physical activity, and screen use. This article describes the study design, data collection methods, 24-h dietary recall (24-h recall) protocol, and sample characteristics of FITS 2016.MethodsFITS 2016 is a cross-sectional study of caregivers of children aged <4 y living in the 50 states and Washington, DC. Data collection occurred between June 2015 and May 2016. A recruitment interview (respondent and child characteristics, feeding practices, physical activity, screen use, and sleep habits) was completed by telephone or online. This was followed by a feeding practices questionnaire and the 24-h recall conducted by telephone. A second 24-h recall was collected for a random subsample of 25% of the total sampled population.ResultsAmong the 4830 recruited households with an age-eligible child, 3248 (67%) completed the 24-h recall. The respondents were more likely to be white, less likely to be Hispanic, and more highly educated than the US population of adults in households with a child <4 y of age. The sample was subsequently calibrated and weighted, and the distribution of respondents was compared with known population distributions.ConclusionsFITS 2016 provides data based on sound methods that can inform researchers, policymakers, and practitioners about the food and nutrient intakes of young children. New findings may also be compared with previous FITS studies.

The Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (FITS) 2016: Moving Forward

The years from birth through preschool involve more changes in growth, development, eating patterns, nutrition, and other functions than any other time of life (1). Food consumption during this time is dynamic and is influenced by rapidly changing trends in feeding practices for infants and young children, as well as by longer-term trends in family incomes and food programs. It is critical to know what children are being fed, what they are eating, and how practices are changing, if we are to craft interventions that lay a solid nutritional foundation for later health, decrease risks of inappropriate eating habits, and develop evidence-based feeding recommendations. Informal guidelines for feeding the young have been available since antiquity. Today, we use formal evaluation of the evidence before making recommendations (2–5). Of particular relevance here is the Birth to 24 Months (B-24) project to evaluate data and support the addition of the first ever recommendations for children younger than 24 mo to the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (6). Sound recommendations must be based on up-to-date information, and yet data on intakes and eating patterns are sparse, particularly for those <24 mo of age. NHANES provides much useful information for children <24 mo of age, but the sample sizes of both breast- and bottle-fed infants and toddlers are insufficient to trace the rapid changes in intakes that occur during that time (7, 8). The Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (FITS) 2016 contributes to this evidence base and complements NHANES by applying similar methods to a large sample of infants and toddlers aged <24 mo, including minorities, providing greater detail about the adequacy of usual nutrient intakes and the foods and food groups consumed. FITS 2016 is a cross-sectional study of caregivers of children under the age of 4 y living in the 50 states and Washington DC. Data collection occurred between June 2015 and May 2016. A recruitment interview (respondent and child characteristics, feeding practices including responsive feeding and reasons for starting or stopping breastfeeding, physical activity, screen use, sleep habits, participation in food assistance programs) was completed by telephone or online. This was followed by a feeding practices questionnaire and a 24-h recall conducted by telephone. A second 24-h recall was collected for a random subsample of 25% of the total sampled population. Because FITS is a telephone survey, direct anthropometric data could not be collected; the lack of accurate anthropometric data or other biomarkers to link the food consumption data collected to health outcomes is a limitation (9).

HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men in Brazil: results of the 2nd national survey using respondent-driven sampling.

This paper reports human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV) prevalence in the 2nd National Biological and Behavioral Surveillance Survey (BBSS) among men who have sex with men (MSM) in 12 cities in Brazil using respondent-driven sampling (RDS).Following formative research, RDS was applied in 12 cities in the 5 macroregions of Brazil between June and December 2016 to recruit MSM for BBSS. The target sample size was 350 per city. Five to 6 seeds were initially selected to initiate recruitment and coupons and interviews were managed online. On-site rapid testing was used for HIV screening, and confirmed by a 2nd test. Participants were weighted using Gile estimator. Data from all 12 cities were merged and analyzed with Stata 14.0 complex survey data analysis tools in which each city was treated as its own strata. Missing data for those who did not test were imputed HIV+ if they reported testing positive before and were taking antiretroviral therapy.A total of 4176 men were recruited in the 12 cities. The average time to completion was 10.2 weeks. The longest chain length varied from 8 to 21 waves. The sample size was achieved in all but 2 cities.A total of 3958 of the 4176 respondents agreed to test for HIV (90.2%). For results without imputation, 17.5% (95%CI: 14.7–20.7) of our sample was HIV positive. With imputation, 18.4% (95%CI: 15.4–21.7) were seropositive.HIV prevalence increased beyond expectations from the results of the 2009 survey (12.1%; 95%CI: 10.0–14.5) to 18.4%; CI95%: 15.4 to 21.7 in 2016. This increase accompanies Brazil's focus on the treatment to prevention strategy, and a decrease in support for community-based organizations and community prevention programs.