Community-based recruitment strategies for a longitudinal interventional study: the VECAT experience

This article examines different recruitment strategies for the VECAT Study, a 4-year, double-masked, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial of vitamin E in the prevention of cataract and age-related maculopathy. Five recruitment methods were employed: newspaper advertising, radio advertising, approaches to community groups, approaches via general practices, and an electoral roll mail-out. Participants (1204) from the community in Melbourne, Australia were recruited and enrolled within 15 months (age range: 55-80 years, mean 66 years; gender ratio: 57% female, 43% male). The electoral roll mail-out and newspaper advertising were the most efficient methods of recruitment in terms of absolute numbers of participants recruited and cost per participant. Recruitment for the VECAT study was successfully completed within the planned period. Although the electoral roll mail-out and newspaper advertising were the most efficient for this study, other methods may be of value for studies with different subject selection criteria.