Marketing the 'Sex Check': evaluating recruitment strategies for a telephone-based HIV prevention project for gay and bisexual men.
Designing effective marketing and recruitment strategies for HIV prevention research requires attention to cultural relevance, logistical barriers, and perceived psychosocial barriers to accessing services. McGuire's communication/persuasion matrix (1985) guided our evaluation, with particular attention to success of each marketing "channel" (i.e., strategy) vis-à-vis the number of all callers, eligible callers, and enrolled callers, as well as reaching so-called "hard-to-serve" individuals. Nearly all channels offered success in reaching specific subgroups. Latinos responded favorably to posters, bisexuals responded favorably to paid media in an alternative (non-gay) publication, and precontemplators responded to referrals by family and friends. Although multiple recruitment strategies were used, three were crucial to the success of the project: (a) recruiters' presence in gay venues, (b) referrals by family and friends (snowball technique), and (c) paid advertisements in alternative (non-gay) local newspapers. Resource allocation and costs are also presented for each channel.
McKee
Michael B
MB
School of Social Work, University of Washington, Seattle, 98105, USA.
Picciano
Joseph F
JF
Roffman
Roger A
RA
Swanson
Fred
F
Kalichman
Seth C
SC
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D001727:Bisexuality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015897:Comorbidity; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004522:Educational Status; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000453:epidemiology; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008389:Marketing of Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009042:Motivation; D018579:Patient Selection; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D044469:Racial Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012309:Risk-Taking; D021841:Safe Sex / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014861:Washington / Q000453:epidemiology