Citation
Cortés, Yamnia I.; Duran, Mayra; Marginean, Valentina; Harris, Latesha K.; Cazales, Andrea; Santiago, Lymari; Mislan, Margarita D.; & Perreira, Krista M. (2022). Lessons Learned in Clinical Research Recruitment of Midlife Latinas during COVID-19. Menopause, 29(7), 883-888. PMCID: PMC9256898Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this brief report is to describe lessons learned in recruiting and enrolling midlife Latinas in a pilot study to reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk during the menopause transition. We also discuss strategies implemented to overcome the challenges presented by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.METHODS: Menopausia, Salud y Corazo´n is a two-group (intervention, waitlist control), repeated measures study. The intervention consists of CVD risk education, coping skills training, physical activity, and stress management. Eligible participants are peri- and early postmenopausal Latinas age 40 to 60 years, free of CVD. From August 2020 to October 2021, we screened 110 women recruited from cultural events and health fairs (n = 56), local businesses (n = 24), and snowball sampling (n = 30). Of these, 60 were eligible for inclusion and 41 enrolled.
RESULTS: Strategies that contributed to successful recruitment included: a primarily Latina bilingual (English, Spanish) research team; flexibility with location and scheduling of data collection; and multiple modes of communication (ie, mailings, phone calls, and text messages). Additionally, we addressed Latino cultural values such as respeto (respect), familismo (loyalty to family), and confianza (trust). In response to COVID-19, we included virtual recruitment strategies, limited in-person visits, and distributed community resources for COVID-19.
CONCLUSION: We have found that despite the challenges presented by COVID-19, midlife Latinas are receptive to clinical research engagement. Researcher flexibility, multiple recruitment modalities, a bilingual research team, and communication strategies that address cultural values are essential elements for the representation of midlife Latinas in research.
URL
http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/GME.0000000000001983Reference Type
Journal ArticleYear Published
2022Journal Title
MenopauseAuthor(s)
Cortés, Yamnia I.Duran, Mayra
Marginean, Valentina
Harris, Latesha K.
Cazales, Andrea
Santiago, Lymari
Mislan, Margarita D.
Perreira, Krista M.