Utility of Targeted Recruitment Methods to Study Age-Related Otolaryngology Conditions

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Clinical Research Methodology
• Public Health

Background:

• Olfactory dysfunction is prevalent in older adults.
• Underrepresentation of diverse populations in clinical research is a significant issue.
• Current recruitment methods may not adequately capture diverse demographics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare demographic and comorbidity profiles across different recruitment methods for a study on olfactory dysfunction in older adults.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of targeted recruitment versus online approaches in achieving representative sampling.
• To identify strategies for improving diversity in clinical trial participant enrollment.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional analysis of 376 community-dwelling adults aged 50 and older.
• Categorization of recruitment methods into 8 distinct types.
• Collection of demographic, comorbidity, and olfactory health data via surveys.
• Descriptive statistical analysis of the participant cohort.

Main Results:

• Targeted recruitment yielded higher proportions of Non-White participants.
• Targeted methods resulted in participants with lower educational attainment and alcohol consumption.
• Increased rates of hypertension, non-insulin dependent diabetes, and cardiac comorbidities were observed with targeted recruitment.
• Non-targeted methods, particularly online approaches, showed less demographic diversity.

Conclusions:

• Tailored recruitment strategies are effective in enrolling representative populations for clinical studies.
• Targeted methods enhance diversity in terms of race, socioeconomic status, and health conditions.
• Addressing underrepresentation in clinical research is crucial and achievable through strategic recruitment.