title: Successful minority recruitment and adherence in physical activity Internet-based research: the WIN study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Researchers studying physical activity often face challenges dealing with recruitment and resources, particularly when conducting longitudinal Internet-based research. Commonly raised methodological problems such as minority recruitment, participant commitment, and participant-staff involvement are addressed through a theoretically driven recruitment and adherence protocol in The Women's Exercise Injuries: Incidence and Risk Factors (WIN) Internet-based study.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objectives of this paper were to review and suggest solutions to problems of: (1) low recruitment of diverse samples, (2) low adherence, and (3) staffing needs.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited 1303 community-dwelling women and followed them through a multiple-phase, longitudinal, Internet-based study. Recruitment and adherence data were analyzed through descriptive methods and logistic regressions to examine participant adherence and sociodemographic factors and predictors of who entered the long-term phase of the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We successfully retained 71.6% of the sample through 4 recruitment phases. Twenty-seven percent of the initially recruited sample was racial/ethnically diverse, 24% began the long-term phase, and 23% completed. Several strategies to enhance participant commitment were successfully used during the practice phase, providing a successful, low staff to participant ratio. Logistic regression indicated being married, being older, and having greater Internet skills were predictive of successfully entering the long-term phase of the study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Recruitment and compliance protocols were successful in meeting overall and racial/ethnic enrollment and recruitment goals. The theoretically based practice phase techniques were successful in re-engaging noncompliant participants. Strategies for minority enrollment and compliance are evaluated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, USA. georitafrierson@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Georita M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Frierson
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Morrow
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vidales
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D035841:Behavioral Research; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008913:Minority Groups; D010349:Patient Compliance; D018579:Patient Selection; D000078329:Workforce