Quantifying Recruitment Source and Participant Communication Preferences for Alzheimer's Disease Prevention Research

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Clinical Research
• Public Health

Background:

• Effective engagement of diverse populations in Alzheimer's disease (AD) prevention research remains a challenge.
• Minority groups face higher AD risks, yet are often underrepresented in prevention studies.
• This underrepresentation can exacerbate existing health disparities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze recruitment sources and communication preferences across different racial and ethnic groups in an AD prevention study.
• To quantify the relationship between recruitment methods, participant race/ethnicity, and study retention.

Main Methods:

• A prospective cohort study was conducted at a university lab.
• 1170 older adults participated, with demographic data collected on race and ethnicity.
• The Cognitive Aging Lab Marketing Questionnaire assessed recruitment sources and communication preferences.

Main Results:

• Recruitment strategies and communication preferences significantly varied by race and ethnicity.
• Postcards were most effective for racial minorities, friend/family referrals for Hispanic/Latinos, and newspapers for Whites.
• Communication preferences differed, with Whites favoring email and Hispanic/Latinos preferring text messages.

Conclusions:

• Tailoring recruitment and communication strategies is crucial for engaging diverse participants in AD prevention research.
• Addressing recruitment disparities can help reduce health inequities in AD research.
• The findings and questionnaire can guide future efforts to improve research engagement and diversity.