title: Recruitment of breast cancer survivors and their caregivers: implications for dyad research and practice.
abstract: Breast cancer survivors' informal caregivers experience adverse health outcomes and could benefit from interventions. Studies of caregivers' participation in research, to date, have assumed heterosexuality. The aim of this study is to identify factors associated with caregiver participation among survivors with diversity in sexual orientation. We recruited breast cancer survivors into a telephone survey and asked them to invite a caregiver. Logistic regression identified factors associated with caregivers' participation. Among 297 survivors, 12 (4 %) had no caregivers, 82 (28 %) refused to provide caregiver information, 203 (68 %) provided caregiver contact, and 167 (56 %) had caregivers participate. Caregiver participation was more likely among sexual minority than heterosexual survivors (aOR: 1.89; 95 % CI: 1.08, 3.32), dyads with higher cohesion, and among caregivers who were partners. Caregiver participation was less likely among survivors with lower education and higher comorbidity. Findings provide insight into recruitment of diverse dyads into cancer survivorship research that will ultimately inform intervention design.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health, 801 Massachusetts Avenue, Crosstown Center, Boston, MA, 02118, USA.
authors.forename: Angela Robertson
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Bazzi
authors.affiliation: Warren Alpert School of Medicine and School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
authors.forename: Melissa A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.affiliation: Data Coordinating Center, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Winter
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Yorghos
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tripodis
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health, 801 Massachusetts Avenue, Crosstown Center, Boston, MA, 02118, USA. boehmer@bu.edu.
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Boehmer
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D000073116:Cancer Survivors / Q000523:psychology; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D018579:Patient Selection; D057566:Self Report; D000072339:Sexual and Gender Minorities; D019529:Sexuality
keywords: Breast cancer; Caregiving; Dyads; Generalizability; Interventions; Recruitment