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

The objective of this study was to analyze the demographics and comorbidities associated with different recruitment methods employed for a clinical study investigating olfactory dysfunction in older adults. We hypothesize that a targeted approach would produce greater demographic and socioeconomic representation than recent online approaches.

This cross-sectional study analyzed the recruiting methods used to enroll Community-dwelling adults over 50 years of age. Participants were recruited from October 2024 to September 2025. A total of 376 participants were recruited. Recruitment methods were divided into 1 of 8 categories. After recruitment, participants would fill out a survey containing demographic information, comorbidities, and olfactory health. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the cohort.

Targeted recruitment resulted in more Non-Whites, lower educational status, lower alcohol use, and higher rates of hypertension, non-insulin dependent diabetes, and cardiac comorbidities than non-targeted methods.

This study demonstrates the ability to recruit a representative population through the use of tailored recruiting methods. Underrepresentation in clinical research is a widespread problem that affects a host of fields. This study addresses this issue and demonstrates that it can be improved upon through the use of targeted recruiting strategies.