Recruitment issues in school-based research: lessons learned from the High 5 Alabama Project

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Educational Research
• Community Health

Background:

• School-based research necessitates effective multi-level recruitment strategies to achieve adequate sample sizes.
• The High 5 Alabama project encountered challenges in recruiting participants at the individual level.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the multi-level recruitment process and outcomes of the High 5 Alabama study.
• To identify factors influencing participation and suggest improvements for future school-based research recruitment.

Main Methods:

• Recruitment was conducted across four levels: district, school, classroom, and individual.
• Active parental consent was required for student and parent participation at the individual level.

Main Results:

• 100% of contacted schools (28) and teachers (108) agreed to participate.
• Individual-level recruitment achieved a 69% success rate, enrolling 1,698 student/parent participants.
• Analysis revealed under-representation of certain population subsamples among participants.

Conclusions:

• School and teacher recruitment is highly feasible; individual recruitment requires targeted approaches.
• Suggestions for enhancing school-based recruitment include district advocates, teacher engagement, incentives, direct parent contact, and tailored strategies for diverse populations.