Table 5 Facilitating factor that improved recruitment and retention of males
Facilitating factor or approach | Study details (for either sex) | Study details for male specific approaches |
|---|---|---|
Advertising through mainstream media, recurrent attention from medical press and general media | [61] | |
Annual Cohort Symposium | [42] | - |
Clinical coordinator referrals | [37] | - |
Continuity of care with the same research staff | - | [38] |
Delivery of intervention using friendly, relaxed, non-directive style with easily understood information | - | [41] |
Delivery of GIFS after assessment were beneficial providing humour and personalisation | [49] | - |
Development of loyal, close relationships in person or one on one check-ins over the phone | ||
Discussion of reasons for refusal, drop out, or non-attendance | [61] | |
Enrolment of spouse or all family members | [36] | |
Free medical screening/laboratory test results and clinical report | [36] | |
Incentives/Reimbursement | Monetary: [46,47,48,49, 56, 57] Small gifts: [43, 48, 51, 52, 56] Snacks during assessment: [48] | - |
Invitation to press conferences | [43] | - |
Maintaining regular contact using one or several methods of contact | [41] | |
Membership card to study and certificate of completion at each follow-up | [43] | - |
Participant choice in amount, timing and frequency of participant intervention or location of interview/ Convenience of time/location | Timing and frequency: [44], Time and location of interview: [40] Convenient timing and/or location: [58] Convenient location including home assessment, options for less burdensome data collection or combined with clinical visit: [48] | |
Multiple geographical locations, low frequency of the procedures and flexible appointments: [38] | ||
Participant newsletters | Yearly newsletter written from PI: [42] Annual holiday letter: [51] Monthly email with scientific information about health/nutrition: [43] Study result newsletters, birthday, and holiday cards: [48] | Birthday and Christmas cards: [61] Study Newsletter: [36] |
Participant perceptions | Aiding research particularly publicly funded research: [43], helping family and friends with COVID-19 and advancing research: [37], knowledge gain and treatment benefit: [38] | Perceived health benefits: [36, 41] Satisfaction at being part of ‘health elite’ (Hawthorne Effect): [36] |
Participant website | [48] | |
Payment of wages to employers to attend study visit without loss of income or work penalty | [52] | [36] |
Personal notes to participants | [56] | - |
Prompting participants to update changes in address or phone number by SMS, post or prior to surgery | Pre-surgery [48] | SMS: [41] Post: [61] |
Referrals by family and friends to the study | [37] | - |
Reminders for questionnaires/ appointments or follow up after non-attendance/non-responders | [61] | |
Recruitment via “mass mailing” | [55] | - |
Resources specific to intervention | ||
Sensitive and informative communication by research staff/ participants or partners of participants to meet individually | Sensitive communication style: [38] | Individual (participant or partner of participant instead of group settings: [50] |
Screening participants from geographical stable workplaces | - | [36] |
Simple consent process | Online: [46] Verbal and Written: [38] | Via SMS: [41] |
Study data collected completely online | - | |
Vested personal interest | Desire to contribute to chronic disease risk: [43], Desire to help country and learning how to protect health: [37], Desire to help others: [38], No other medical options available: [38] | Desire to contribute their own weight loss: [41], Desire to help others with disease and for self: [41], Desire for education about chronic disease: [38, 41] |
Written Questionnaires | [38] |