Retention factors for participants of an inner-city community-based asthma intervention study.
Participant retention is a significant challenge for asthma field trials examining the effectiveness of prevention strategies in inner-city communities. Here, the authors evaluate factors associated with participant retention in an inner-city, pediatric, asthma intervention trial in Atlanta, Georgia, during 1998-2000. Demographic, clinical, residential, personnel, and logistical variables were analyzed by chi-square and Wilcoxon rank sum nonparametric tests to compare children who remained in the asthma study with those who were dropped. Of the 489 participants, 486 (99%) were African-American, 467 (96%) were non-Hispanic, 281 (57%) were male, and 142 (29%) remained in the study. Of the 347 dropouts, 149 (43%) were dropped because of missing study visits. Retention rates were significantly higher (P<.05) for participants enrolled in the second year of the study (2nd yr=43%, 1st yr=19%), for those who lived longer at the same residence (> or = 3 yrs=36%, 2-3 yrs=26%, 1-<2 yr=22%), and for those enrolled during a face-to-face follow-up home visit, rather than at the emergency department (ED) (follow-up=38%, ED=27%). Neither sex nor enrollment season were associated with retention. These findings underscore the importance of performing a comprehensive pilot study and considering a home residency period for participant enrollment eligibility, along with alternative study methods that take into account the challenges of retaining participants.
Air Pollution and Respiratory Health Branch, Division of Environmental Health and Hazard Evaluation, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA. sjw9@cdc.gov
Seymour G
SG
Williams
Anisha R
AR
Wharton
Kenneth H
KH
Falter
Erin
E
French
Stephen C
SC
Redd
D001249:Asthma / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005845:Georgia; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology; D010352:Patient Dropouts / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D013997:Time Factors; D014505:Urban Population