title: Optimising recruitment into a study of physical activity in older people: a randomised controlled trial of different approaches.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  physical activity studies in older people often have poor recruitment. Including a questionnaire with the invitation would provide information about non-participants and selection bias, but could reduce recruitment. Telephone contact might encourage participation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  to test the effects of different strategies for recruitment into a study of physical activity in older people.
  
  
  METHODS
  factorial randomised controlled trial. Randomisation by household into four groups: telephone contact plus questionnaire, telephone contact only, questionnaire only, neither.
  
  
  METHODS
  primary care, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom.
  
  
  METHODS
  560 patients > or = 65 years randomly selected after exclusions.
  
  
  METHODS
  questionnaire to assess health, functional ability and physical activity. Telephone contact by the research nurse a week after sending study information.
  
  
  METHODS
  recruitment into physical activity study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  telephone contact increased recruitment: contact 47.9% (134/280), no contact 37.9% (106/280), difference (adjusted for the clustering effect of household) 10.0% (95% CI 0.2-19.8). Questionnaire inclusion did not significantly reduce recruitment: no questionnaire 44.3% (124/280) questionnaire 41.4% (116/280) difference -2.9% (95% CI -12.7-7.0).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  telephone contact significantly increased recruitment and should be considered in studies where recruitment may be low. While inclusion of a questionnaire provided valuable information on non-participants and did not significantly reduce recruitment, an adverse recruitment effect could not be excluded.
authors: Division of Community Health Sciences, St George's, University of London, Cranmer Terrace, Tooting, London, SW17ORE, UK. tharris@sgul.ac.uk
authors: Tess J
authors: TJ
authors: Harris
authors: Iain M
authors: IM
authors: Carey
authors: Christina R
authors: CR
authors: Victor
authors: Rika
authors: R
authors: Adams
authors: Derek G
authors: DG
authors: Cook
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D010358:Patient Participation; D018579:Patient Selection; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011320:Primary Health Care; D015983:Selection Bias; D006113:United Kingdom