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.
Williams
Seymour G
SG
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
Wharton
Anisha R
AR
Falter
Kenneth H
KH
French
Erin
E
Redd
Stephen C
SC
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