Enrollment Challenges: Recruiting Men to Weight Loss Interventions

Area of Science:

• Obesity research
• Clinical trial recruitment

Background:

• Obese men face higher chronic disease risks and are less likely to pursue weight loss than women.
• Effective recruitment of men into weight loss clinical trials is a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate effective recruitment strategies for enrolling overweight and obese men in a weight loss clinical trial.
• To identify barriers to participation in weight loss studies for men.

Main Methods:

• A 6-month randomized controlled weight loss trial was conducted.
• Initial recruitment targeted men in the workplace with limited education.
• Recruitment strategies were revised to include men outside the workplace with diverse educational backgrounds, utilizing various advertising channels.

Main Results:

• Early recruitment efforts yielded negligible interest, with only 35 men enrolled in 7 months.
• A 1-week newspaper advertisement campaign was the most successful recruitment method, leading to the enrollment of 102 men.
• High study retention was observed, suggesting successful engagement once enrolled.

Conclusions:

• Targeted and effective recruitment strategies are crucial for enrolling overweight and obese men in clinical trials.
• The primary barrier to participation for this demographic appears to be recruitment challenges, not a lack of interest in weight loss.