Dataset Information

Recruitment strategies in randomised controlled trials of men aged 50 years and older: a systematic review.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To identify and review evaluations of strategies to recruit men aged 50 years and over to randomised controlled trials (RCTs).

Design

Systematic review and narrative synthesis.

Data sources

MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and ORRCA databases were searched to 1 December 2017.

Eligibility criteria

Studies using quantitative methods to evaluate recruitment strategies to RCTs of men aged 50 years and older.

Data extraction and synthesis

A single reviewer extracted data (for each strategy, number of participants approached, screened and randomised, and cost). Study quality was assessed using National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Quality Assessment Tools and considered study design, description of interventions, description and measurement of outcomes, completeness of outcome reporting, performance of statistical testing and consideration of confounders. Recruitment strategies were categorised by the recruitment stage they addressed.

Results

Sixteen studies (n >14?000) were included: one good quality, ten fair quality and five poor quality. Studies evaluated strategies to identify prospective participants, and to improve the processes for assessing participant eligibility, providing participant information and seeking consent. In good and fair quality studies, the most effective strategies for identifying participants were referral from an affiliated health service provider (two studies), mass mailing (five studies) and media coverage (two studies). Community outreach activities such as displaying posters and attending local community events were not effective (two studies). Trial-specific training of site recruitment staff, developed using qualitative analysis of recruitment visits (two studies), and provision of study information to prospective participants at a multidisciplinary, group information session (one study) both improved recruitment.

Conclusion

Improved engagement of men aged 50 years and older in RCTs is needed. A gender-sensitised approach to RCT recruitment may help to address this need. We have identified several promising recruitment strategies that merit further evaluation.

Prospero registration number

CRD42017060301.

SUBMITTER: Bracken K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6500287 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Recruitment strategies in randomised controlled trials of men aged 50 years and older: a systematic review.

Bracken Karen K Askie Lisa L Keech Anthony C AC Hague Wendy W Wittert Gary G

BMJ open 20190403 4

<h4>Objectives</h4>To identify and review evaluations of strategies to recruit men aged 50 years and over to randomised controlled trials (RCTs).<h4>Design</h4>Systematic review and narrative synthesis.<h4>Data sources</h4>MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and ORRCA databases were searched to 1 December 2017.<h4>Eligibility criteria</h4>Studies using quantitative methods to evaluate recruitment strategies to RCTs of men aged 50 years and older.<h4>Data extraction and synthesis</h4>A single reviewer extrac ...[more]

PMID: 30948584

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundResearchers have emphasized the importance of examining how different factors affect men's and women's functional status over time. To date, the literature is unclear about whether sex affects the rate of change in disability in middle to older age. Researchers have further emphasized the importance of examining how different factors affect men's and women's functional status over time. We examined (a) sex differences in disability trends and (b) the determinants of the rate of change in disability for men and women 50 years and older.MethodsThis study utilized the Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging Survey, a nationally representative database (four waves of survey data 1996-2007, N = 3429). We modeled and compared the differences in disability trends and the influences of determinants on trends among men and women using multiple-indicator and multiple-group latent growth curves modeling (LGCM). Equality constraints were imposed on 10 determinants across groups.ResultsOnce disability began, women progressed toward greater disability 18% faster than men. Greater age added about 1.2 times the burden to the rate of change in disability for women than men (p < 0.001). More comorbidities also added significantly more burden to baseline disability and rate of change in disability among women than men (p < 0.001), but women benefited more from higher education levels in lower baseline disability and slower rate of change. Having a better social network was associated with lower baseline disability among women only (p < 0.05). For both men and women, physically active leisure-time activities were beneficial in lower baseline disability (p men and women < 0.001) and rate of change in disability (p men < 0.01; p women < 0.05), with no significant differences between groups.ConclusionsAge may widen the sex gap in the rate of change in disability. However, both sexes benefit from participating in leisure-time activities. Promoting health literacy improves health outcomes and physical function among women.

Project description:BackgroundRecruitment of participants into randomised controlled trials (RCTs) is critical for successful trial conduct. Although there have been two previous systematic reviews on related topics, the results (which identified specific interventions) were inconclusive and not generalizable. The aim of our study was to evaluate the relative effectiveness of recruitment strategies for participation in RCTs.Methods and findingsA systematic review, using the PRISMA guideline for reporting of systematic reviews, that compared methods of recruiting individual study participants into an actual or mock RCT were included. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and reference lists of relevant studies. From over 16,000 titles or abstracts reviewed, 396 papers were retrieved and 37 studies were included, in which 18,812 of at least 59,354 people approached agreed to participate in a clinical RCT. Recruitment strategies were broadly divided into four groups: novel trial designs (eight studies), recruiter differences (eight studies), incentives (two studies), and provision of trial information (19 studies). Strategies that increased people's awareness of the health problem being studied (e.g., an interactive computer program [relative risk (RR) 1.48, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00-2.18], attendance at an education session [RR 1.14, 95% CI 1.01-1.28], addition of a health questionnaire [RR 1.37, 95% CI 1.14-1.66]), or a video about the health condition (RR 1.75, 95% CI 1.11-2.74), and also monetary incentives (RR1.39, 95% CI 1.13-1.64 to RR 1.53, 95% CI 1.28-1.84) improved recruitment. Increasing patients' understanding of the trial process, recruiter differences, and various methods of randomisation and consent design did not show a difference in recruitment. Consent rates were also higher for nonblinded trial design, but differential loss to follow up between groups may jeopardise the study findings. The study's main limitation was the necessity of modifying the search strategy with subsequent search updates because of changes in MEDLINE definitions. The abstracts of previous versions of this systematic review were published in 2002 and 2007.ConclusionRecruitment strategies that focus on increasing potential participants' awareness of the health problem being studied, its potential impact on their health, and their engagement in the learning process appeared to increase recruitment to clinical studies. Further trials of recruitment strategies that target engaging participants to increase their awareness of the health problems being studied and the potential impact on their health may confirm this hypothesis. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary.

Project description:The majority of the older Singaporean women aged 50 years and above are physically inactive and have unhealthy dietary habits, placing them at 'high risk' of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The adoption of regular physical activity (PA) and a healthy diet are essential lifestyle behaviours to reduce this risk. This randomised controlled trial (RCT) involves the development, implementation and evaluation of a PA and nutrition programme for community-dwelling Singaporean women who currently attend recreational centres (RCs are public facilities supporting social leisure activities) in their local area. The intervention will be developed after conducting formative evaluation with RC attendees and managers through focus group discussions and pilot testing of resources (i.e. surveys, accelerometers, and health booklets). Programme ambassadors (trained, certified fitness instructors and nutritionists) will deliver all sessions in English and Mandarin; implement classes to meet participants' varying needs; and conduct sessions at different times at convenient venues. Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) has been selected as the theoretical framework to inform intervention strategies as it explores the interactions of human behaviour with the environment and has been found to be valuable when developing behavioural change interventions particularly in older adults (J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 67B(1):18-26, 2012; Obesity Reviews 15(12):983-95, 2014). Its major construct, self-efficacy, is invaluable in achieving successful behaviour change, such as increasing levels of PA or improving dietary intake (Trials. 2017; https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-016-1771-9 ; Psychol Health Med 18(6):714-24, 2013).The development and implementation of the PA and nutrition intervention strategies will be guided by SCT and Motivational interviewing (MI) and implemented by trained programme ambassadors at the RCs. Sixty RCs located in Singapore will be selected from five major geographical districts and randomly allocated to the intervention (n = 30) or control (n = 30) cluster. A sample of 600 (intervention n = 300; control n = 300) women aged 50 years and above will then be recruited from these 60 centres and only the intervention group will be enrolled into the PA and nutrition intervention. It is hypothesised that by the end of the intervention, the intervention group participants compared to the control group will show significantly greater improvements in the following outcome variables: PA and dietary behaviours, health-related quality of life, objective measures of PA, anthropometric, lipid and glucose profiles. Data will be collected at baseline and 6 months and analysed using mixed regression models.It is anticipated that recruitment, retention and compliance of participants will be challenging due to the target group being unfamiliar with such community-based research programmes.Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12617001022358. Registered on 14 July 2017. https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=372984&isReview=true.

Project description:BackgroundNumerous population-based studies have suggested that socio-economic status (SES) is associated with cognitive performance, but few nationally representative epidemiological studies on cognitive performance with a large sample of older adults are available in China. And many studies explore the factors associated with cognitive performance, mainly focusing on individual level and more rarely on multiple levels that include the individual and community.MethodsThis study uses SAGE-China Wave 1 data which consisted of 13,157 adults aged 50 years and older to explore socioeconomic inequalities in the cognitive performance from a multilevel perspective (individual and community levels). The overall cognition score was based on the seven separate components of the cognition tests, including the four verbal recall trials, the verbal fluency test, the forward digit span test and the backward digit span test. Factor analysis was applied to evaluate and generate a single overall score. A two-level hierarchical linear model was used to evaluate the association between SES at these two levels and the overall cognition score adjusted for age, sex and marital status.ResultsAt individual level, years of education was significantly associated with overall cognition score for both urban and rural dwellers. At the community level, a positive association was obtained between median household income and median years of education and overall cognition score among urban participants.ConclusionA significant association between SES at both individual-level and community-level (only for urban area) and cognitive performance were found in this study of a national sample of 13,157 Chinese aged 50 years and older, even after adjusting for demographic characteristics. Identifying community-based SES variables that are associated with cognitive performance in the older population provides further evidence for the need to address community characteristics associated with deprivation.

Dataset Information

Recruitment strategies in randomised controlled trials of men aged 50 years and older: a systematic review.

Objectives

Design

Data sources

Eligibility criteria

Data extraction and synthesis

Results

Conclusion

Prospero registration number

Publications

Recruitment strategies in randomised controlled trials of men aged 50 years and older: a systematic review.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets