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Recruiting young adults in an urban setting: the Chicago CARDIA experience
1Department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois 60611.
Insights
Recruiting young adults for the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study required flexible sampling. Chicago CARDIA successfully met its diverse recruitment goals by adapting methods to include underrepresented groups.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular epidemiology
- Public health research
- Longitudinal cohort studies
Background:
- The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study is a multicenter initiative tracking coronary heart disease risk factors in young adults.
- The Chicago center aimed to recruit 1,100 participants with specific demographic targets.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the recruitment strategies and outcomes of the Chicago CARDIA cohort.
- To highlight the challenges and successful adaptations in recruiting a diverse urban population for a longitudinal health study.
Main Methods:
- Initial recruitment utilized random digit dialing. Subsequent strategies focused on census tracts with high densities of target populations (Blacks, low-SES Whites) and accessible public transportation.
- The study involved a comprehensive four-and-one-half hour examination, with participants agreeing to follow-up assessments.
Main Results:
- The Chicago CARDIA successfully recruited 1,109 participants, achieving the overall goals.
- Recruitment met targets for race (50% Black, 50% White), sex, age, and education distribution (close to 40%/60% spread).
- Adaptations in sampling procedures were crucial for overcoming initial recruitment shortfalls in specific demographic groups.
Conclusions:
- Flexible and adaptive recruitment strategies are essential for achieving diverse participant enrollment in urban research settings.
- The Chicago CARDIA experience provides valuable insights for optimizing recruitment in similar epidemiological studies.
Abstract:
The recruitment goal of Chicago Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) was 1,100 randomly selected young adults, in equal proportions for men and women, blacks and whites, two age groups, and two education groups. CARDIA is an ongoing multicenter study of the health and lifestyles of young adults designed to trace the development of risk factors for coronary heart disease over time. Participants completed a four-and-one-half hour exam and agreed to return two years later. In Chicago CARDIA, one of the four centers in the national collaborative study, random digit dialing of computer-generated telephone lists was the initial recruitment technique. Initial recruitment efforts resulted in too few low-socioeconomic status (SES) white participants and too few blacks. In response the sampling procedure was modified to focus on census tracts with a high density of blacks, more low-SES whites, and convenient public transportation. By being flexible, Chicago CARDIA improved recruitment in certain hard-to-fill cells and achieved the overall goals: 1,109 participants, 50% black and 50% white, near equal proportions by sex and age, and close to the recommended 40%/60% spread on education. The Chicago experience should benefit others conducting research in an urban setting.
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