title: Strategies to recruit and retain college smokers in cessation trials.
abstract: Techniques to recruit and retain college fraternity and sorority members who reported past 30-day smoking into a cessation trial are described. Recruitment efforts included relationship-building, raffles, and screening survey administration during existing meetings. Surveys were administered to 76% (n = 3,276) of members in 30 chapters, 79% of eligible members agreed to participate, and 76% of those completed assessments and were enrolled in the trial (n = 452). The retention rate was 73%. Retention efforts included cash incentives, flexible scheduling, multiple reminders, chapter incentives, and use of chapter members as study personnel. Retention was not related to demographic, behavioral, or group characteristics. The strategies of partnership, convenience, and flexibility appear effective and may prove useful to investigators recruiting similar samples.
authors.affiliation: Department of Educational Psychology, College of Education and Human Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 114 Teachers College Hall, P.O. Box 880345, Lincoln, NE 68588-0345, USA.
authors.forename: M Meghan
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.forename: Nikole J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Cronk
authors.forename: Kari Jo
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Solomon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Harrar
authors.forename: Delwyn
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Catley
authors.forename: Glenn E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Good
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015146:Midwestern United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D009042:Motivation; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010352:Patient Dropouts; D018579:Patient Selection; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000523:psychology*; D017010:Reminder Systems; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult