title: Strategies for recruiting African-American residents of public housing developments into a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Two community-based strategies used to implement a clinical trial within public housing developments are discussed: 1) hiring and training community outreach residents (CORE) team members to recruit and retain primarily African-American participants; and 2) conducting health fairs to recruit participants into a trial examining the effects of nicotine gum and motivational interviewing on smoking cessation rates.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cluster randomized, community-based clinical trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  This trial was conducted in housing developments within a metropolitan area in the Midwest.
  
  
  METHODS
  Over a period of 20 months, the research team recruited 813 residents, 80% of whom were African-American, to attend health fairs. Of this number, 273 (33%) smokers were identified, and 173 were ultimately enrolled into the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Attendance at health fairs of public housing development residents ranged from 8%-66% across the housing developments, with an average of 21%. A brief survey was conducted at the health fair to assess smoking status, fruit/vegetable consumption, and physical activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A number of possible explanations for the relatively high participation rates among a community-based trial include engaging the community in the research process, offering free health screening services, building recruitment incentives for the CORE, and tailoring health education/promotion materials according to the demographic make-up of the developments. Details regarding the development of recruitment strategies that may boost recruitment rates in community-based clinical trials with predominantly ethnic minorities are provided.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health/Mail-Stop 1008, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA. sjeffries@kumc.edu
authors.forename: Shawn K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Jeffries
authors.forename: Won
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Butler
authors.forename: Kari Jo
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Jasjit S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Ahluwalia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006277:Health Fairs; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D018579:Patient Selection; D011638:Public Housing; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000208:ethnology / Q000379:methods; D014481:United States