RESEARCH METHODOLOGY POSTER PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
Please note: All posters will be displayed in
Salons 10-12.
THURSDAY, 10:15-11:00 AM
Taylor-Piliae RE, Sivarajan Froelicher ES.
Methods to optimize recruitment and retention to an exercise
study in Chinese immigrants.
Stanford Prevention Research Center, School of
Medicine, Stanford University rpiliae@stanford.edu
PURPOSE: To describe the multidimensional approach
for recruitment and retention, to ensure minimum loss to follow-up in
a 12-week Tai Chi (TC) exercise intervention study in Chinese Immigrants.
METHODS: Establish a partnership with an existing
community organization already serving Chinese seniors. Distribute information
about the study through flyers, posters, brochures and newspaper advertisements
in Chinese papers. Have interested persons contact the study investigator
for further information and to determine eligibility. Conduct all aspects
of the study, assessments and TC classes at a local community center,
providing easy, convenient access and familiarity to the setting, where
a large number of Cantonese-speaking senior citizens gather daily for
lunch and other activities such as mahjong, haircuts, buying vegetables,
and health talks. Eliminate potential linguistic barriers by having
persons fluent in Cantonese obtain informed consent, collect data, and
provide detailed explanations in the TC classes. Utilize charismatic
TC instructors, experienced in working with older adults and those with
chronic illnesses. Provide frequent reminders through telephone contact
and class announcements. Involve family members as additional sources
of encouragement and support. Be respectful and take time to understand
culture-specific relationships and interactions. Provide incentives
to study participants at regular intervals (every 6 weeks). Set-up a
tracking system to monitor all screened and eligible subjects, including
those who agreed to participate, refused or later withdrew from the
study. During the intervention, have subjects sign an attendance sheet
at each session, to assess exercise adherence.
RESULTS: A total of 52 persons were screened,
40 were eligible, and 39 subjects were enrolled. Recruitment was completed
within 3-weeks. Adherence to the intervention was very high (87% ± 0.18).
Follow-up at 6 weeks was 100%. Only one woman dropped out of the study
after completing the 6-week evaluation, due to recurring health problems.
There were no further dropouts, thus very high follow-up of subjects
(97%) was achieved on completion of the study.
CONCLUSIONS: The methods used above provide
culture-specific information needed for optimum study participation.
Findings in this study are unmatched by others. The attention to details,
along with respect and understanding of the Chinese culture and language
contributed to the very high adherence rate, and reflects the high acceptability
of TC exercise in these subjects.
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