Recruiting African-American research participation in the Jackson Heart Study: methods, response rates, and sample description.
OBJECTIVE
The sampling and recruitment methods, response rate, and cohort description for the all-African-American Jackson Heart Study (JHS) are detailed.


METHODS
Four subsamples of participants residing in the Jackson, Mississippi metropolitan statistical area (MSA) were included: random, volunteer, ARIC (continuing from Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study), and family. A community-driven recruitment model was developed, and community representatives guided recruitment.


RESULTS
96% (n=5,302) of target enrollment was achieved with diversity in sex, education, and income. The JHS cohort provides a sample of African-American adults for longitudinal investigation.


CONCLUSIONS
Cohort recruitment was challenging. The JHS experiences provide useful lessons for observational epidemiological studies recruiting African-American research participation. Co-participation of researchers and researched in study design and realistic evidence of community benefit were crucial to recruitment success.
Fuqua
Sonja R
SR
School of Medicine, Jackson Heart Study, University of Mississippi Medical Center Jackson, Mississippi 39216-4505, USA.
Wyatt
Sharon B
SB
Andrew
Michael E
ME
Sarpong
Daniel F
DF
Henderson
Frances R
FR
Cunningham
Margie F
MF
Taylor
Herman A
HA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044383:Black People; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008922:Mississippi / Q000453:epidemiology; D018579:Patient Selection; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012107:Research Design; D035842:Research Subjects; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D001741:Black or African American