Recruitment and community interactions in the GOCADAN study.
OBJECTIVE
To study heart and vascular disease in Alaskan Eskimos. To identify risk factors for CVD in Norton Sound Eskimos.


METHODS
Participatory research. In this paper, procedures for selection and enrollment and providing feedback and referrals are described. Our working relationships with the Norton Sound Health Corporation (NSHC) Board, the village councils, individuals, and communities are also described.


METHODS
This study was conducted in the Norton Sound region of Alaska. The participants were members of Alaskan Eskimo families.


RESULTS
Procedures were formed for selecting and enrolling extended families into the study and for working with the NSHC Board, the village councils, and individual participants. The average participation was 82.6% of the age-eligible villagers in seven villages. A four-level referral system was designed. Test results were provided to participants in the form of letters, with duplicates sent to health care providers and medical records. A senior researcher returned to the village to explain the results to the participants.


CONCLUSIONS
Principles of participatory research applied and developed in this study led to successful screening of 1214 Eskimos in nine villages between October 2000 and June 2004. This partnership developed into a relationship with the community, in which researchers and the communities mutually participated in the study, from the initiation of the design to the return of the data to the individuals, communities, and health care providers.
Norton Sound Health Corporation, Nome, Alaska, 99762, USA. ffsoe@uaf.edu
Sven O E
SO
Ebbesson
Sandra
S
Laston
Charlotte R
CR
Wenger
Bennett
B
Dyke
Terry
T
Romenesko
Michael
M
Swenson
Richard R
RR
Fabsitz
Jean W
JW
MacCluer
Richard
R
Devereux
Mary
M
Roman
David
D
Robbins
Barbara V
BV
Howard
D000328:Adult; D000413:Alaska; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D004930:Inuit; D008297:Male; D018579:Patient Selection; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012107:Research Design; D012307:Risk Factors