title: Active recruitment and limited participant-load related to high participation in large population-based biobank studies.
abstract: Insight into baseline participation rates and their determinants is crucial for designing future population-based biobank studies. We therefore conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of baseline participation rates and their determinants in large longitudinal population-based biobank studies.
  
  
  
  We screened studies registered within the Public Population Project in Genomics and Society and in the Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure catalogues to find potentially eligible studies. We retrieved data with regard to participation rate, biobank design, performed measurements, and specific strategies for improving participation. We calculated weighted pooled proportions for each determinant using random-effects models.
  
  
  
  We included 25 studies (participation rates 5-96%). Participation rates were highest for studies involving face-to-face recruitment [82.6%; 95% confidence interval (CI): 72.2%, 90.9%], for studies in which participants were visited for an examination (77.5%; 95% CI: 64.0%, 88.6%) and for studies in which at maximum four measurements were performed (78.2%; 95% CI: 69.7%, 85.7%). Specific strategies to improve participation were not found to be associated with higher participation rates.
  
  
  
  Specific choices of recruitment methods and design have consequences for participation rates. These insights may help to increase participation in future studies, thereby enhancing the validity of their findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Community & Occupational Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, P.O Box 196, FA 10, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9700 AD Groningen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: s.k.r.van.zon@umcg.nl.
authors.forename: Sander K R
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: van Zon
authors.affiliation: LifeLines Cohort Study and Biobank, Bloemsingel 1, 9713 BZ Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Salome
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Scholtens
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Community & Occupational Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, P.O Box 196, FA 10, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9700 AD Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Sijmen A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Reijneveld
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Nynke
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Smidt
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Community & Occupational Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, P.O Box 196, FA 10, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9700 AD Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ute
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Bültmann
mesh_terms: D018070:Biological Specimen Banks / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015340:Epidemiologic Research Design; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D018579:Patient Selection
keywords: Determinants; Meta-analysis; Participation; Population-based biobank; Response; Review