Telephone Recruitment of a Random Stratified African American and White Family Study Sample

• NCJ Number: 196825
• Journal: Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse Volume: 1 Issue: 3 Dated: 2002 Pages: 57-73
• Author(s): Susan C. Duncan Ph.D.; Lisa A. Strycker M.A.; Terry E. Duncan Ph.D.; Haiou He M.A.; Michael J. Stark Ph.D.
• Date Published: 2002
• Length: 17 pages
• Grant Number(s): AA11510
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health and Human Services
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This paper describes the recruitment methods used to attain a stratified sample of 368 target youths (African-American and white males and females from 9-, 11-, and 13-year-old cohorts), along with all household family members aged 9 and older, representing families in 58 neighborhoods.

Abstract

Prior to the main study, focus groups and a pilot study were conducted in the community, and the project was well publicized. Six African-American focus groups were conducted: two adult (one male and one female), two high-school age (one male and one female), and two middle-school age (one male and one female). One purpose of these focus groups was to obtain information and opinions related to recruitment strategies and sensitivity of approaches and survey questions for this ethnic group. The primary recruitment method was telephone "cold-calling," which used a digitized, 1998, CD-ROM telephone database that was limited to residences in the metropolitan area. Calling started in July 1999 and continued through July 2000. Once the sampling database was created, it was imported into computer-aided telephone interviewing (CATI) software. Following CATI specifications, a script was written for the recruitment call, and a quota system was established, so that the final sample would be properly stratified by age, gender, ethnicity, and neighborhood. Trained staff made calls continuously each day until the final sample size was reached. Approximately 45 percent of the calls resulted in contact. Approximately 1 percent of the families qualified for the study, of which approximately 75 percent agreed to participate. The telephone recruitment was supplemented by door-to-door recruitment in selected neighborhoods. The average cost of telephone recruitment was approximately $169 per family. Advantages and limitations of the recruitment method are discussed; and recommendations for future studies are offered, including community involvement, the solicitation of the input of African-Americans as well as the developmental perspectives of adolescents, and the minimization of participant burdens. 2 tables, 1 figure, and 22 references