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Strategies and Challenges in Recruiting Black Immigrant Mothers for a Community-Based Study on Child Nutritional Health in Ottawa, Canada

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Abstract

There is a need to identify barriers to participation as well as recruitment strategies to engage minority parents of young children in health-oriented research. This paper offers insights on strategies and challenges in recruiting black immigrant mothers living in Ottawa (Canada) for a community-based health-oriented research project among 6-to-12-year-old children. We recruited 259 mother–child dyads. Most participants were recruited by team members during community events, fairs, religious gatherings, etc. Other successful strategies included referral from participants, community partners, and through research team members’ networks. Mass media strategies were mostly ineffective. Instant and meaningful incentives, developing community partnerships, building and ensuring study legitimacy and trust, placing convenience of participants ahead of that of research team members, doing community outreach, and taking contact information on the spot, as well as using word-of-mouth were essential to recruiting. This study clearly indicates the importance of adopting multiple recruitment strategies.

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Acknowledgements

We thank each association, organization, and individual who supported the project and helped us recruit participants. We would like to acknowledge some of our community partners: African Diaspora Association of Canada, Caribbean Union of Canada, Centretown Community Health Center, Coopérative Enseignants Pas à Pas, Economic and Social Council of Ottawa-Carleton, Lowertown Community Resource Centre, Rideau-Rockcliffe Community Resource Center and South-East Ottawa Community Health Centre. We are especially thankful to Jane Karago, Ketcia Peters, Nandy Cassamajor, Noberthe Jean-Baptiste, and undergraduate students for their crucial help in recruiting participants. We are very grateful to the participants without whom this project would not have been possible. This project was funded by a research development grant awarded by the Consortium National de Formation en Santé-volet Université d’Ottawa and the University of Ottawa. Rosanne Blanchet is supported by doctoral awards from the Consortium National de Formation en Santé-volet Université d’Ottawa and the Fonds de Recherche Québec- Santé.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Nutrition Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, 25 University Pvt (THN 116), Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada

    Rosanne Blanchet, Constance P. Nana, Elise Pauzé & Isabelle Giroux

  2. Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada

    Rosanne Blanchet & Dia Sanou

  3. Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada

    Malek Batal

Authors
  1. Rosanne Blanchet
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  2. Dia Sanou
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  3. Constance P. Nana
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  4. Elise Pauzé
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  5. Malek Batal
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  6. Isabelle Giroux
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Correspondence to Isabelle Giroux.

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Blanchet, R., Sanou, D., Nana, C.P. et al. Strategies and Challenges in Recruiting Black Immigrant Mothers for a Community-Based Study on Child Nutritional Health in Ottawa, Canada. J Immigrant Minority Health 19, 367–372 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-016-0536-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-016-0536-6

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