Online Program

294918
Using CBPR for participant retention in a prospective study of the neurological effects of occupational pesticide exposure in farmworkers


Monday, November 4, 2013

Phillip Summers, MPH, Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC
Lourdes Carrillo, BS, Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC
Leonardo Galvan, North Carolina Farmworkers Project, Benson, NC
Enrique Rodriguez-Pastor, MA, El Buen Pastor Latino Community Services, Winston-Salem, NC
Jennifer Talton, MS, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC
Sara A. Quandt, PhD, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC
Thomas A. Arcury, PhD, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC
Community-based participatory research (CBPR) joins communities and researchers to facilitate encouraging community members to participate in research relevant to their health. In prospective epidemiological studies, CBPR designs should aid in participant retention. 371 Latino males (210 exposed migrant farmworkers and 161 non-exposed non-farmworkers) were enrolled in a prospective CBPR study of the neurological effects of occupational pesticide exposure. The sample was constructed via face to face recruitment employing community partners who visited potential participants in their homes. Participants were enrolled at a clinic visit where biological sample collection and neurological testing were conducted. Those who returned for a second clinic three months later were compared to those who did not on age, education, marital status, social integration and participation, CES-D, and exposure status (farmworker vs. non-farmworker). Overall, 68.7% of the 371 participants were retained. The retention rate for farmworkers was 65.7%; the rate for the non-farmworkers was 72.7%. Retained participants differed only on exposure status. The community partners reported that community members discontinued participation due to lack of trust in the study, fear of contributing blood samples, peer influence, seasonal demands of farm work, and loss to follow up due to the transient nature of the population being studied. While stable non-migrant populations will always be easier to retain in prospective studies, retention strategies focused on potentially modifiable barriers such as fear and lack of trust are needed to enhance retention. Community partnerships provide the appropriate context for exploring such barriers and developing effective solutions.

Learning Areas:

Occupational health and safety
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
List the benefits of using CBPR in the retention of minority participants Articulate the importance of the role of community partners in community based public health Discuss how CBPR can overcome barriers to minority participation in research

Keyword(s): Community Participation, Hispanic

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been the project manager of multiple federally funded grants focusing on occupational safety of Hispanics in construction and farm work. Among my scientific interests has been the development of community partnerships that improve public health.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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