Recruiting Older Adults Into a Community-Based Research Study in Northern Ireland: Strategies, Rates, and Timescales

BACKGROUND: Recruiting older adults to public health interventions is challenging, and underrepresentation can have important consequences for research outcomes and scalability. This paper reports the process of recruiting participants and the effectiveness of strategies employed in the "Walk with Me" study, a physical activity intervention targeting older adults in areas of socioeconomic disadvantage in Northern Ireland.

METHODS: Thirty-eight community organizations and 10 general practices located in areas of socioeconomic disadvantage were involved in recruiting activity over an 18-month period. Recruitment methods included letters from general practices and the distribution of study information through local community organizations. Demographic information about participants and how they heard about the study were collected as part of baseline data collection for the trial.

RESULTS: Of the 364 participants recruited, information on recruitment source was available from 355 (124 males, 230 females, and 1 who did not identify as either male or female). Of these, 328 (92.4%) self-reported that they were recruited via a letter from their general practitioner, and 27 (7.6%) reported being recruited from other sources. Postintervention focus groups with 30 participants identified their reasons for participating included a perception that their general practitioner had selected them personally, it provided an opportunity for a health check as access to a general practitioner can be difficult, and they were encouraged to participate by family members.

CONCLUSIONS: Recruitment to community-based interventions requires partnerships with general practices to ensure successful completion. Findings provide insight into the recruitment of older adults in a community-based physical activity intervention.