Comparing Strategies for Recruiting Small, Low-Wage Worksites for Community-Based Health Promotion Research.
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ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:HealthLinks is a workplace health promotion program developed in partnership with the American Cancer Society. It delivers a package of evidence-based interventions and implementation support to small worksites in low-wage industries. As part of a randomized, controlled trial of HealthLinks, we studied approaches to recruiting these worksites. AIMS:This study aims to guide future recruitment for community-based worksite health promotion interventions by comparing three approaches, including leveraging relationships with community partners. METHOD:We recruited 78 small, low-wage worksites in King County, Washington, to participate in the trial via three approaches: phone calls to companies on a purchased list ("cold"), phone calls to a list of eligible companies provided by a health insurer ("lukewarm"), and personal referrals from local health insurers and brokers ("warm"). Eligible and interested worksites received an in-person visit from researchers and completed additional steps to enroll. RESULTS:Of the worksites screened and deemed eligible, 32% of the "cold" worksites enrolled in HealthLinks, as did 48% and 60%, respectively, of the "lukewarm" and "warm" worksites. Compared with "warm" worksites, "cold" worksites were twice as likely to be ineligible. DISCUSSION:Two distinct factors help explain why "warmer" worksites were more likely to enroll in HealthLinks. First, eligibility was significantly higher among warmer referrals. Second, most of the warm-referred worksites eligible for the study agreed to meet in person with the project team to hear more about the project. CONCLUSIONS:"Warmer" recruitment approaches yielded higher recruitment. Leveraging relationships with community partners can help researchers identify and successfully recruit small, low-wage worksites.
SUBMITTER: Hammerback K
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6409287 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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