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Challenges of recruitment and retention of older people from culturally diverse communities in research

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 November 2008

SUSAN FELDMAN ,
HARRIET RADERMACHER ,
COLETTE BROWNING ,
STEVE BIRD  and
SHANE THOMAS
SUSAN FELDMAN*
Affiliation:
Healthy Ageing Research Unit, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
HARRIET RADERMACHER
Affiliation:
Healthy Ageing Research Unit, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
COLETTE BROWNING
Affiliation:
Monash Institute of Health Services Research, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
STEVE BIRD
Affiliation:
School of Medical Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia.
SHANE THOMAS
Affiliation:
School of Primary Health Care, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
*
Address for Correspondence: Susan Feldman, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Building 1, 270 Ferntree Gully Rd, Notting Hill, Victoria 3168, Australia. Email: Susan.Feldman@med.monash.edu.au
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Abstract

The substantial and increasing number of older Australian people from culturally diverse backgrounds justifies the investigation and inclusion of their experiences in ageing research. Few empirical studies have addressed culturally diverse issues in the older population, however, in part because of the particular challenges in recruiting and retaining people from different cultural backgrounds. This article reflects on a research team's experience of recruiting participants from seven cultural groups into a study that sought to explore the links between physical activity and the built environment. Three key issues for recruiting and retaining participants from culturally diverse backgrounds were identified: having access to key local informants; the central role of paid and trained bilingual interviewers; and supporting the research partners in recruitment activities. Furthermore, it appeared that a ‘one size fits all’ approach was not appropriate and that a flexible recruitment strategy may be required to ensure successful recruitment from all cultural groups. The differences observed in this study relating to recruitment and retention rates may be more dependent on the skills and characteristics of those responsible for the recruitment and interviewing, rather than the specific cultural group itself. Older people from some cultural backgrounds may be less likely to respond to traditional recruitment methods and researchers need to be more assiduous and strategic to improve participation rates in research.

Keywords

older adultsethnic minoritiescultural diversityrecruitmentretentionmethodology
Type
Research Article
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 28 , Issue 4 , May 2008 , pp. 473 - 493
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

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