Recruitment and retention of families interested in a parent-based pediatric obesity intervention

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Obesity Treatment
• Clinical Trial Recruitment
• Health Disparities

Background:

• Recruitment and retention in pediatric obesity treatment are challenging, particularly for high-risk groups like African Americans.
• Existing research often overlooks early attrition, focusing on intervention or follow-up phases, limiting understanding of treatment access barriers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine enrollment and early attrition in a pediatric weight management intervention.
• To identify factors influencing progression through the initial stages of a clinical trial for pediatric obesity.
• To assess the achievement of diverse enrollment goals in a high-risk population.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of a pediatric weight management intervention's consort flow, categorizing participants into four groups: eligible but no baseline attendance, baseline attendance but no enrollment, enrollment but no posttesting, and completed posttesting.
• Comparison of demographic data (sex, ethnicity, race) and initial child BMI across these groups.
• Evaluation of attrition rates at different stages of the enrollment process.

Main Results:

• Over 70% of enrolled families were African American, achieving diverse enrollment goals.
• More than 78% of enrolled participants completed posttesting, indicating high retention.
• No significant differences in sex, ethnicity, or race were found across attrition groups (p > .05).
• Early attrition was not associated with the child's initial Body Mass Index (BMI).

Conclusions:

• The study successfully enrolled a diverse group of children with obesity, with a significant proportion being African American.
• High completion rates post-enrollment suggest effective retention strategies within the intervention.
• Findings indicate that early attrition in this pediatric obesity trial was not driven by race, ethnicity, or initial BMI, challenging common assumptions.