Participant Bias in Community-Based Physical Activity Research: A Consistent Limitation?

Area of Science:

• Health Behavior Science
• Exercise Physiology
• Public Health Research

Background:

• Physical activity interventions aim to promote health benefits but face challenges with participant recruitment.
• Recruitment bias disproportionately excludes certain populations from physical activity research.
• Equity-deserving groups are often underrepresented in studies, limiting generalizability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and discuss strategies for mitigating recruitment bias in physical activity research.
• To promote greater inclusion of diverse and equity-deserving populations in physical activity studies.
• To encourage researchers to actively address limitations in participant recruitment.

Main Methods:

• The study is a commentary based on the authors' experience in physical activity intervention research.
• It identifies and elaborates on five key strategies to enhance recruitment and engagement.
• Strategies are presented as broad, interrelated, and applicable to various research contexts.

Main Results:

• Five core strategies are proposed: gaining trust, increasing community support, considering alternative approaches, rethinking recruitment, and incentivizing participants.
• These strategies are designed to address barriers faced by underrepresented groups.
• Implementation of these strategies can lead to more inclusive and representative research.

Conclusions:

• Addressing recruitment bias is essential for advancing physical activity research and its equitable application.
• A multi-faceted approach involving trust-building, community involvement, and innovative recruitment is necessary.
• Further consideration of societal factors is needed to ensure broad participation in physical activity research.