Quantitative assessment of recruitment efforts for prevention trials in two diverse black populations

Background, Prevention efforts to reduce the morbidity and mortality dispar ity between blacks and whites in the United States present a national healt h priority. However, participation of blacks in prevention trials has been low. The present study reports successful recruitment processes from two ec onomically diverse black populations. Methods. The two studies were independent projects, but both were part of a nationally funded collaboration on cardiovascular health. "Hip Hop to Heal th" is a 4-year randomized controlled trial aimed at dietary fat reduction and increased exercise among inner-city black families. The Fat Reduction I ntervention Trial in African-Americans project is a B-year trial to reduce total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol intake among black families from a working class community. Results. The two populations differed on demographic characteristics. Direc t presentation was the most effective recruitment strategy in the "Hip Hop to Health" program. In contrast, telephone recruitment and neighborhood can vassing were the more successful strategies for FRITAA. Conclusions. Although both populations were black and at comparable cardiov ascular disease risk, the differing demographics between the groups made di fferent recruitment strategies necessary. This study documented the labor-i ntensive quality of successful recruitment, and results suggest that succes sful recruitment requires strategies tailored to the needs, experiences, an d environment of the target group. (C) 1998 American Health Foundation and Academic Press.