Community-based recruitment strategies for a longitudinal interventional study: the VECAT experience

This article examines different recruitment strategies for the VECAT Study, a Lt-year, double-masked, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial of vitamin E in the prevention of cataract and age-related maculopathy. Five recruitment methods were employed: newspaper advertising, radio advertising , approaches to community groups, approaches via general practices, and an electoral roll mail-out. Participants (1204) from the community in Melbourn e, Australia were recruited and enrolled within 15 months (age range: 55-80 years, mean 66 years; gender ratio: 57% female, 43% male). The electoral r oll mail-out and newspaper advertising were the most efficient methods of r ecruitment in terms of absolute numbers of participants recruited and cost per participant. Recruitment fur the VECAT study was successfully completed within the planned period. Although the electoral roll mail-out and newspa per advertising were the most efficient for this study, other methods may b e of value for studies with different subject selection criteria. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.