STRIVING FOR DIVERSITY IN POPULATION-BASED RESEARCH: STRATEGIES AND OUTCOMES IN THE RISE FOR HEALTH STUDY

Area of Science:

• Population health research
• Epidemiology
• Health disparities

Background:

• Broad demographic representation is crucial for generalizability in population-based research.
• The RISE FOR HEALTH study (RISE) prioritized representation goals to enhance its findings.
• Assessing the success of diversity strategies is key for future research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe strategies used to promote broad representation in the RISE FOR HEALTH study.
• To compare RISE participants to the general U.S. population to evaluate representation.
• To provide insights for improving diversity in future population-based studies.

Main Methods:

• RISE employed probability sampling of adult women across 57 U.S. counties.
• Strategies included stratified sampling for race, ethnicity, and age, and cultural/linguistic adaptations for Spanish speakers.
• Marketing-style materials and community engagement were used to promote broader diversity.

Main Results:

• 3,400 participants completed the baseline survey.
• Participant race, ethnicity, and age mirrored the U.S. population due to stratified sampling.
• Representation of Spanish as a primary language (4.4% vs. 12.9%) and high school or less education (13.8% vs. 35.9%) lagged behind U.S. averages.

Conclusions:

• Diversity promotion strategies in the RISE study showed variable success.
• Specific strategies were effective in achieving racial, ethnic, and age representation.
• Challenges remain in recruiting Spanish-speaking participants and those with lower educational attainment.