Recruitment, retention, and compliance results from a probability study of children's environmental health in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods.
The School Health Initiative: Environment, Learning, and Disease (SHIELD) study used a probability sample of children (second through fifth grades) from two low-income and racially mixed neighborhoods of Minneapolis, Minnesota, to assess childhood environmental health. Children were eligible to participate in SHIELD regardless of whether they or their families spoke a foreign language, their household had a telephone, or they were enrolled in a special education program. The overall enrollment rate in year 1 was 57%, with a substantial disparity between children from English-speaking (42%) versus non-English-speaking (71%) families. At the end of year 1, 85% were retained in the study. A relatively high percentage of children provided the two requested blood (82%) and urine (86%) samples in year 1, and 90% provided a valid spirometry sample. Eighty-two percent provided both requested volatile organic chemical badge samples, and both time-activity logs were obtained from 66%. However, only 32% provided both peak flow measurements. All percentages increased for those participating in the second year of the study. Results indicate that a school-based research design makes it feasible and practical to conduct probability-based assessments of children's environmental health in economically disadvantaged and ethnically diverse neighborhoods. There is an ongoing need, however, to improve understanding of the cultural, economic, psychologic, and social determinants of study participation among this population.
Division of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. ksexton@umn.edu
Ken
K
Sexton
John L
JL
Adgate
Timothy R
TR
Church
Ian A
IA
Greaves
Gurumurthy
G
Ramachandran
Ann L
AL
Fredrickson
Mindy S
MS
Geisser
Andrew D
AD
Ryan
D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008910:Minnesota / Q000453:epidemiology; D010349:Patient Compliance; D018579:Patient Selection; D011203:Poverty; D044469:Racial Groups; D012107:Research Design; D012574:Schools
D004785:Environmental Pollutants