ERIC Number: EJ925176
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011-Jun
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0016-9013
EISSN: N/A
Predictors of 4-Year Retention among African American and White Community-Dwelling Participants in the UAB Study of Aging
Allman, Richard M.; Sawyer, Patricia; Crowther, Martha; Strothers, Harry S., III; Turner, Timothy; Fouad, Mona N.
Gerontologist, v51 suppl 1 pS46-S58 Jun 2011
Purpose: To identify racial/ethnic differences in retention of older adults at 3 levels of participation in a prospective observational study: telephone, in-home assessments, and home visits followed by blood draws. Design and Methods: A prospective study of 1,000 community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and older included a baseline in-home assessment and telephone follow-up calls at 6-month intervals; at 4 years, participants were asked to complete an additional in-home assessment and have blood drawn. Results: After 4 years, 21.7% died and 0.7% withdrew, leaving 776 participants eligible for follow-up (49% African American; 46% male; 51% rural). Retention for telephone follow-up was 94.5% (N = 733/776); 624/733 (85.1%) had home interviews, and 408/624 (65.4%) had a nurse come to the home for the blood draw. African American race was an independent predictor of participation in in-home assessments, but African American race and rural residence were independent predictors of not participating in a blood draw. Implications: Recruitment efforts designed to demonstrate respect for all research participants, home visits, and telephone follow-up interviews facilitate high retention rates for both African American and White older adults; however, additional efforts are required to enhance participation of African American and rural participants in research requiring blood draws.
Descriptors: African Americans, Whites, Aging (Individuals), Race, Intervals, Home Visits, Racial Differences, Program Effectiveness, Health Insurance, Telecommunications, Recruitment, Interviews, Predictor Variables, Rural Areas, Older Adults, Diagnostic Tests, Nurses
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A