Strategies for recruiting African American men into prostate cancer screening studies

Background: Recruitment for research and clinical trials continues to be challenging. Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men and disproportionately affects African American men; thus, effective recruitment strategies are essential for this population. Objectives: The aim of this study was to focus on innovative and effective recruitment strategies for research on prostate cancer with minorities. Methods: A systematic description is provided of the recruitment efforts for a hermeneutic phenomenological qualitative study of African American men's experiences in decision making on whether to have a prostate cancer screening. Results: Seventeen African American men were enrolled from rural Central Virginia. Recruiting strategies were targeted on places where African American men usually are found but that are rarely used for recruitment: barbershops, community health centers, and churches. Word of mouth was also used, and most of the participants (n = 11) were reached through this method. Discussion: Recruitment efforts have been noted to be particularly challenging among minorities, for numerous reasons. Making minority recruitment a priority in any research or clinical trial is essential in gaining a representative sample. Word of mouth is a powerful tool that is often forgotten but should be looked at in further detail.