2015 APHA Annual Meeting & Expo

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Recorded Annual Meeting Presentations (RAMP) are now available for purchase.
Only $90 for presenters, $140 for registered attendees and $200 for non-attendees.

Online Program

321536
Involve, engage, and retain: Retention techniques from Project HEAL, a cancer-focused implementation project in African American churches


Monday, November 2, 2015 : 9:10 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

Sherie Lou Z. Santos, MPH, CHES, Department of Behavioral and Community Health, University of Maryland, School of Public Health, College Park, MD
Cheryl L. Holt, PhD, Department of Behavioral and Community Health; School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Erin K. Tagai, MPH, Department of Behavioral and Community Health, University of Maryland, College Park School of Public Health, College Park, MD
Mary Ann Scheirer, PhD, Scheirer Consulting, Princeton, NJ
Janice V. Bowie, PhD, MPH, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
Jimmie Slade, MA, Community Ministry of Prince George's County, Upper Marlboro, MD
Roxanne Carter, Community Ministry of Prince George's County, Upper Marlboro, MD
Muhiuddin Haider, PhD, Institute for Applied Environmental Health, University of Maryland, School of Public Health, College Park, MD
Rev. Alma D. Savoy, MA, Community Ministry of Prince George's County, Upper Marlboro, MD
Min Qi Wang, PhD, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Tony Whitehead, PhD, Department of Anthropology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Audio (mp3) recording Recorded Presentation (mp4)
Project HEAL (Health through Early Awareness and Learning) is a community-based participatory research project utilizing a community health advisor (CHA) model that aims to improve cancer screening behaviors among African Americans in 14 churches throughout Prince George’s County, Maryland. Participants attend a CHA-led 3-workshop series on cancer early detection with follow-up workshops at 12- and 24-months. The success of longitudinal studies such as Project HEAL rely heavily on relationship building in the early phases at both the church and CHA-levels and continued participant engagement and retention throughout the study period.

Project HEAL partnered with an established community-based organization to assist with enrollment and retention efforts. Various retention strategies were implemented to keep participants engaged throughout the study. Targeted strategies were utilized at the Pastor, CHA, and workshop participant levels including: monetary incentives, fellowship activities, Pastor and CHA interviews, semi-monthly text messages, quarterly newsletters, HEAL-branded materials, and an extensive survey protocol allowing participants to complete follow-ups using multiple methods (e.g., at workshops, mail, phone, internet).

At the end of the 12-month follow-up phase, all 14 churches remain engaged in Project HEAL; however, 4 CHAs from 3 separate churches have dropped out due to health (n=2) or personal (n=2) reasons. Twelve-month participant survey completion rates are at 75%.

Guided by the RE-AIM framework, project sustainability is a priority for Project HEAL. Therefore, participant retention throughout the 24-month follow-up plays an integral role in achieving maintenance. These findings provide guidance for the development of best practices in community- and faith-based longitudinal research projects.

Learning Areas:

Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Explain the importance of participant retention in longitudinal community-based participatory research projects. Describe at least two methods to keep participants engaged in a longitudinal community-based participatory research project.

Keyword(s): Community-Based Research (CBPR), Sustainability

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Sherie Lou Santos is the current Program Manager of Project HEAL in which she plays a key role in the development, management, implementation, and evaluation of the intervention. She earned her dual MPH at Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, CA with concentrations in both Health Education and Maternal and Child Health. She has presented at multiple national and local scientific conferences related to the content of the proposed presentation.
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.

Back to: 3024.0: Measures, methods, and evaluation in CBPR