SUCCESSFUL RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES FOR SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH PROMOTION -EXPERIENCES FROM CATCH

School-based research designs in the 1990s often require that a large number of schools be recruited to participate in studies. Therefore, e ffective recruitment and maintenance of schools becomes an important a ctivity for ensuring the integrity of the study design. The Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health (CATCH) is the largest scho ol-based health promotion research project yet undertaken; 96 schools (24 per field site) were successfully recruited and retained for this cardiovascular disease risk reduction project. This article describes general recruitment strategies used at the four CATCH sites, a descrip tion of how Social Learning Theory guided these activities, a discussi on of logistical considerations, and recommended recruitment strategie s for future school-based research.