Effectiveness of recruitment and retention strategies in a pregnant adolescent nutrition intervention study

• Published in: Journal of advanced nursing 2019-01, Vol.75 (1), p.215-223
• Main Authors: Wise, Nancy J., Cantrell, Mary Ann
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior - psychology; Adolescent mothers; Attitude to Health; Attrition; Biomedical Research - organization & administration; Children; engaging gatekeepers; Female; Gift giving; Habits; Health care; Health services; Healthy food; Humans; Incentives; Infants; Intervention; Maternal and infant welfare; Medical research; Mothers; nurse‐adolescent relationships; Nursing; Nutrition; nutrition education workshop; Nutrition Surveys - methods; Nutritional Status; Patient Selection; Pregnancy; pregnant adolescent research; Pregnant Women; Qualitative Research; Quasi-experimental methods; Recruitment; recruitment and retention; Reminders; Research Design; Retention; Self-efficacy; Strategies; Teenage pregnancy; Teenagers; texting; Workshops; Young mothers
• ISSN: 0309-2402; 1365-2648
• DOI: 10.1111/jan.13840

Aim To report the methodological strategies used to recruit and retain pregnant adolescents into a nutrition‐focused intervention study. Background An important step to meeting the developmental and healthcare needs of pregnant adolescents is to conduct high‐quality research studies that generate reliable and accurate data. However, recruitment and retention of pregnant adolescents into research are challenging and time intensive. Design A quasi‐experimental, one‐group, pre, post, 6‐week postintervention repeated measures study was conducted among inner‐city pregnant adolescents. Method Study participants’ nutrition knowledge, eating habits, and personal self‐efficacy were measured prior to pregnant adolescents’ participation in the workshop, immediately after the intervention and 6‐weeks following the intervention. A total of four workshops were conducted over 14 months from 2014‐2015. Results Gatekeepers were influential in recruitment efforts due to trusting relationship they had with study participants. The use of texting reminders and pregnant adolescent‐related incentives that included gift bags and baby items were also effective recruitment and retention strategies. Despite designing the recruitment strategies and using a developmentally tailored workshop, based on empirical evidence gleaned from pregnant adolescents that was modified to meet study participant's schedules, an adequate sample was unable to be recruited and retained for this study. Conclusion High‐quality research studies that generate reliable and accurate data are essential in meeting the developmental and healthcare needs of pregnant adolescents. A major barrier in developing evidence‐based care practices to promote the health of these young mothers and their children involves recruiting and retaining them in research studies. 目的 汇报为招募妊娠少女并将其留用在以营养为重点的干预研究中所用的方法学策略 背景 为了满足妊娠少女的发展和保健需求,一个重要步骤是进行高质量的研究,产生可靠且准确的数据。然而,招募妊娠少女并将其留用在研究中具有挑战性和时间密集性。 设计 采用准实验、1组、干预前、干预后、干预后6周对市内妊娠青少年进行重复测量研究。 方法 在妊娠少女参与研讨会之前、干预后和干预后6周,对研究参与者的营养知识、饮食习惯和自我效能进行测量。从2014年到2015年,总共展开了4次研讨会,时间超过14个月。 结果 由于把关人与研究参与者之间的信任关系,把关人在招募工作中具有一定的影响力。利用短信提醒以及提供妊娠少女产品相关奖励(包括礼品袋和婴儿用品)也是有效的招募和保留策略。尽管设计了招募策略并使用了发展性定制的研讨会,但基于从妊娠少女处收集的实验性证据(这些实验性证据为满足研究参与者的日程安排,经过修正)来看,仍无法为本研究招募和保留足够的试验参与者。 结论 可提供可靠且准确的数据的高质量研究,是满足妊娠少女发育和卫生保健需求的重要手段。发展循证护理实践来促进这些年轻母亲及其子女健康的一个主要障碍,是招募和保留她们来参加研究。