Recruitment of African American Adults With Multiple Sclerosis Into Randomized Controlled Trials of Exercise Training: Lessons Learned From Project TEAAMS.

BACKGROUND: Exercise is effective for managing symptoms and improving quality of life among people with multiple sclerosis (MS). However, African Americans are underrepresented in MS exercise trials, partly due to limited recruitment resources and avenues tailored to this demographic. This paper des...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:International Journal of MS Care Vol. 27; no. Q4; pp. 337 - 346
Autores principales: Neal, Whitney N., Gomez, Denise, Flores, Victoria, Flores, Edson, Williams, Mitzi J., Kinnett-Hopkins, Dominique, Pekmezi, Dorothy, Motl, Robert W.
Formato: pictorial tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers Oct-Dec2025
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
fields @attributes:
  recordID: 1
pdfLink:
plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=190640082&site=ehost-live
header:
  @attributes:
    shortDbName: ccm
    uiTerm: 190640082
    longDbName: CINAHL Complete
    uiTag: AN
  controlInfo:
    bkinfo:
    dissinfo:
    jinfo:
      jid:
        15372073
        1FUA
      jtl: International Journal of MS Care
      issn: 15372073
      maglogo: N
    pubinfo:
      dt: Oct-Dec2025
      vid: 27
      iid: Q4
      pid: 66082
      pub: Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers
      place: Hackensack, New Jersey
    artinfo:
      ui:
        190640082
        190640082
        190640082
        10.7224/1537-2073.2024-046
        190640082
      ppf: 337
      ppct: 9
      formats:
      tig:
        atl: Recruitment of African American Adults With Multiple Sclerosis Into Randomized Controlled Trials of Exercise Training: Lessons Learned From Project TEAAMS.
      aug:
        au:
          Neal, Whitney N.
          Gomez, Denise
          Flores, Victoria
          Flores, Edson
          Williams, Mitzi J.
          Kinnett-Hopkins, Dominique
          Pekmezi, Dorothy
          Motl, Robert W.
        affil: Department of Health Behavior, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
      sug:
        subj:
          Multiple Sclerosis Rehabilitation
          Randomized Controlled Trials
          Aerobic Exercises
          Research Subject Recruitment Methods
          African Americans
          Patient Selection
          Telerehabilitation
          Culture
          Resistance Training
          Program Implementation
          Program Evaluation
          Adult
          United States
          Anniversaries and Special Events
          Recreation
          Communities
          Health Facilities
          Schools
          World Wide Web
          Information Resources
          Videorecording
          Email
          Social Media
          Support Groups
          Patient Participation
          Minority Groups
          Control Group
          Multiple Sclerosis Organizations
          Eligibility Determination
          Power Analysis
          Diversity, Equity, Inclusion
          Research Personnel
          Research Instruments
          Data Analysis Software
          Adult: 19-44 years
      ab: BACKGROUND: Exercise is effective for managing symptoms and improving quality of life among people with multiple sclerosis (MS). However, African Americans are underrepresented in MS exercise trials, partly due to limited recruitment resources and avenues tailored to this demographic. This paper describes participant outreach and recruitment strategies for an ongoing, remotely delivered, culturally tailored exercise training program for African American individuals with MS. METHODS: Initially, a passive, indirect approach in the form of virtual outreach was employed, distributing study information through MS organizations, local experts, community leaders, patient representatives, and others in the southern United States. The effectiveness of these outreach and recruitment strategies in screening and enrolling was assessed using study coordinator and participant data. RESULTS: Over 15 months, the outreach methods successfully recruited 80 African Americans with MS into the clinical trial. Following a delayed start and slower initial recruitment, active outreach strategies were incorporated (eg, in-person engagements at local MS events, recreation and community centers, health care facilities, and schools). Additional tactics included study website enhancements, an informational video, email templates, and updates to the study flyer. Most participants (64.9%) were recruited through MS organizations, with virtual platforms (ie, websites, social media; 14.3%) and support groups (9.1%) also contributing to recruitment success. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the effectiveness of a multipronged, experience-informed approach for successfully enrolling African Americans with MS into clinical trials. While MS organizations proved pivotal for recruiting and enrolling African Americans with MS, leveraging diverse recruitment outlets highlighted the importance of multifaceted strategies for engaging participants from minority backgrounds in research.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        pictorial
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
    refInfo:
    holdings:
      @attributes:
        islocal: N