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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
David E. Pollio, PhD, School of Social Work, Washington University, One Brookings Dr., Box 1196, St. Louis, MO 63130-4899, (314) 935-7516, depollio@gwbmail.wustl.edu, Carol S. North, MD, MPE, School of Medicine, Washington University, Department of Psychiatry, 660 S Euclid, CB 8134, Renard Building, Room 2210, St. Louis, MO 63110, Karin M. Eyrich, MSW, MPE, George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University, One Brookings Drive, CB 1196, St. Louis, MO 63130, and Linda B. Cottler, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 40 N. Kingshighway, Suite 4, St. Louis, MO 63108.
Successful retention of subjects in longitudinal outcome studies is required for generalizability of research findings in epidemiologic and longitudinal studies. Procedures previously developed by others for tracking drug abusing populations over time have yielded admirable subject retention, providing groundwork for further development of methods to maximize subject retention for related populations, such as homeless. This presentation will: (a) describe creative and exhaustive strategies to track and successfully re-interview homeless drug abusers; and (b) examine unique contributions of various strategies to these tracking efforts. For a NIDA-funded longitudinal study of homeless drug abusers in St. Louis, Missouri, a representative sample of 400 currently homeless individuals was randomly recruited from shelters and street locations and followed over a 2-year period. To facilitate tracking, an instrument used successfully by previous researchers on other populations was redesigned for this study. Innovative strategies developed by this research team were added to facilitate subject contact. Study subjects participated in brief quarterly interviews and more inclusive 12 and 24-month assessments for two years (with only the first year completed to date). Follow-up rates over the 12-month period were 89% completing at least one follow-up interview, 76% located, and 74% completing all interviews. No particular strategy proved to be superior for tracking and re-interviewing. Successful tracking of this population required implementation of a wide variety of strategies, creativity, and extensive knowledge of the urban environment and the study population.
Learning Objectives:
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.