Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
Indiana University Network Science Institute, Bloomington, IN 46202, USA.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018 Dec 15;15(12):2878. doi: 10.3390/ijerph15122878.
We disseminate the recruitment strategies used in the five-year VidaSana study (started in 2017) in the Midwest region of the United States, targeting recently arrived Hispanic immigrants. VidaSana aims to follow immigrants within six months of arrival for 24 months to (1) characterize features of networks (personal and community) that improve or undermine dental health; and (2) further refine methods to quantify the evolution of egocentric networks, using social network methodology. We implemented several strategies to promote and recruit potential participants into the study. We collaborate with agents serving Indiana's Hispanic communities using three levels of visibility. The broad level includes radio advertisements, TV interviews, newspaper advertisements, and targeted Facebook advertisements. Intermediate level visibility includes posting flyers in schools, employment agencies, immigrant welcome centers, and Hispanic businesses; making announcements at church/temple and school events; tabling at community, church and school events; and a pervasive adaptation of our strategies to the requirements of our partners. Lastly, the individualized level includes direct referrals by partners through word of mouth. From the initial 13 months of recruitment (494 screened contacts and 202 recruited participants), the most successful recruitment strategies appear to be a combination of intermediate- and individual-level strategies; specifically, face-to-face recruitment at school events, direct referrals from our community partners, and tabling at community/school/church events. The current interim findings and future final findings will help guide recruitment and retention strategies for studies focused on immigrants in the current climate of heightened immigration regulations and enforcement.
我们在美国中西部地区传播 VidaSana 研究（始于 2017 年）中使用的招募策略，目标是最近抵达的西班牙裔移民。VidaSana 的目标是在移民抵达后的六个月内对他们进行为期 24 个月的随访，以：(1) 描述改善或破坏口腔健康的网络（个人和社区）特征；(2) 进一步完善使用社交网络方法量化自反网络演变的方法。我们实施了多种策略来促进和招募潜在参与者参与研究。我们与为印第安纳州西班牙裔社区服务的代理商合作，采用三个可见度级别。广泛层面包括广播广告、电视采访、报纸广告和有针对性的 Facebook 广告。中级可见度包括在学校、就业机构、移民欢迎中心和西班牙裔企业张贴传单；在教堂/寺庙和学校活动中发布公告；在社区、教堂和学校活动中设摊；并根据合作伙伴的要求对我们的策略进行广泛调整。最后，个性化层面包括合作伙伴通过口碑直接转介。从最初的 13 个月的招募（494 名筛选接触者和 202 名招募参与者）来看，最成功的招募策略似乎是中级和个人级策略的结合；具体来说，在学校活动中进行面对面招募、来自我们社区合作伙伴的直接转介以及在社区/学校/教堂活动中设摊。目前的中期结果和未来的最终结果将有助于指导在当前移民法规和执法加强的背景下针对移民的研究的招募和保留策略。
