title: Barriers to Recruitment in Pediatric Obesity Trials: Comparing Opt-in and Opt-out Recruitment Approaches.
abstract: To compare the efficacy of opt-in versus opt-out recruitment methods in pediatric weight management clinical trials.
  
  
  
  Recruitment of preschoolers and school-age children across two obesity randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were compared using the same opt-in recruitment approach (parents contact researchers in response to mailings). Opt-in and opt-out strategies (parents send decline postcard in response to mailings if they do not want to participate) were then compared across two preschool obesity RCTs.
  
  
  
  Opt-in strategies yielded a significantly lower overall recruitment rate among preschoolers compared with school-age children. Among preschoolers, an opt-out strategy demonstrated a significantly higher overall recruitment rate compared with an opt-in strategy with the main advantage in the number of families initially contacted.
  
  
  
  Opt-out recruitment strategies may be more effective in overcoming the barriers of recruitment in the preschool age-group because it does not rely on parent recognition of obesity.
authors.affiliation: Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Mary Beth
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: McCullough
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Janicke
authors.affiliation: Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Cathleen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Odar Stough
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioral Health and Nutrition, University of Delaware, 26 N College Avenue, Newark, DE, USA.
authors.forename: Shannon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Robson
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Associates, PSC, Crestview Hills, Kentucky, KY, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bolling
authors.affiliation: Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Cindy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zion
authors.affiliation: Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Lori
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stark
mesh_terms: D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D018579:Patient Selection; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: children; obesity; weight management