title: Comparing sampling strategies to recruit migrants for an epidemiological study. Results from a German feasibility study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In 2011, almost 20.0% of the population of Germany had a migration background. Studies on their health tend to have low participation rates. The aim of our study was to compare different sampling strategies and to test different approaches to recruit migrants for an epidemiological study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four recruitment centres of the German National Cohort recruited persons of Turkish origin and ethnic German immigrants from former Soviet Union countries. A register-based (random samples from residents' registration offices) and a community-orientated strategy were applied. Participants underwent a medical examination and self-completed a questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Used approaches: The community-orientated strategies comprised the acquisition of key persons from migrant networks to support the recruitment, invitation talks and distribution of study materials in migrant settings, etc. The identifying variables in the registry data were name, nationality or country of birth. All but one centres used bilingual study material and study staff.
  
  
  METHODS
  When comparing the two strategies, the register-based participation rates ranged from 10.1 to 21.0% (n = 668 participants) and the community-oriented recruitment resulted in 722 participants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Register-based recruitment should use a combination of name, nationality and country of birth in order not to be limited to identifying persons with a foreign nationality. However, according to the study staff, the community-oriented approach involving key persons of the same cultural background leads to a better acceptance by the participants. Also, it covers a more heterogeneous group. Yet, it is time-consuming and needs considerably more staff. Further research should establish the effectiveness of a combination of both strategies.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Epidemiology and International Public Health, Bielefeld School of Public Health (BiSPH), Bielefeld University, 33501 Bielefeld, Germany katharina.reiss@uni-bielefeld.de.
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Reiss
authors.affiliation: 2 Institute for Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology (IMIBE), University Hospital Essen, 45122 Essen, Germany 3 Institute for Medical Sociology, University Hospital Duesseldorf, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Nico
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dragano
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Robert Koch Institute, 12101 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Ute
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ellert
authors.affiliation: 5 German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fricke
authors.affiliation: 5 German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Karin Halina
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Greiser
authors.affiliation: 6 Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité Universitätsmedizin, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Keil
authors.affiliation: 6 Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité Universitätsmedizin, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Lilian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Krist
authors.affiliation: 2 Institute for Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology (IMIBE), University Hospital Essen, 45122 Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moebus
authors.affiliation: 2 Institute for Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology (IMIBE), University Hospital Essen, 45122 Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Noreen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pundt
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Robert Koch Institute, 12101 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schlaud
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Robert Koch Institute, 12101 Berlin, Germany 6 Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité Universitätsmedizin, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Rahsan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yesil-Jürgens
authors.affiliation: 7 Department of Prevention and Evaluation, Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology-BIPS GmbH, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: Hajo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zeeb
authors.affiliation: 8 Institute of Public Health, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Heiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zimmermann
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Epidemiology and International Public Health, Bielefeld School of Public Health (BiSPH), Bielefeld University, 33501 Bielefeld, Germany.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Razum
authors.affiliation: 2 Institute for Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology (IMIBE), University Hospital Essen, 45122 Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Karl-Heinz
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Jöckel
authors.affiliation: 8 Institute of Public Health, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Heiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Becher
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018579:Patient Selection; D012042:Registries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012494:Sampling Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014421:Turkey / Q000208:ethnology; D014586:USSR / Q000208:ethnology; D055815:Young Adult