Recruitment and retention of adolescents in a smoking trajectory study: who participates and lessons learned

Recruitment of adolescents into tobacco use research is often challenging. This study reports on the predictors of recruitment and retention in a longitudinal study of adolescent smoking behavior. In 2000, 8th and 10th grade students at 18 schools (N = 5,298) in the Chicago metropolitan area completed brief screening surveys; 1457 students (ranging from susceptible nonsmokers to regular smokers) were invited to participate in a longitudinal study, and 48.9% agreed. Chi-square analyses revealed that female and white students were more likely to participate than male and nonwhite students. Recruitment rates did not vary by parental smoking status, students' experience with smoking, or student grade. Multivariate analyses revealed that overall, gender and race were significant predictors of participation. Chi-square and multivariate analyses revealed no significant differences in retention on the demographic, smoking experience, or psychosocial variables measured. Implications of the results and study limitations are discussed.