ArticleBMC medical research methodology2017
Learning from older peoples' reasons for participating in demanding, intensive epidemiological studies: a qualitative study.
Article in BMC medical research methodology, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed.
- Optimizing Retention in a Pragmatic Trial of Community-Living Older Persons: The STRIDE Study.Journal of the American Geriatrics Society · 2020Trial
- Widening participation in cognitive neuroscience: a mixed-methods study of age-related motivators, barriers and attitudes towards imaging methods.BMC medical research methodology · 2026Article
- Experience of Being Fall-Prone and Participating in Research: Fallers' Perspectives.Journal of applied gerontology : the official journal of the Southern Gerontological Society · 2025Article
- Article
- A qualitative study of recruitment strategies: Perspectives from older adults living with diabetes.Diabetic medicine : a journal of the British Diabetic Association · 2024Article
- Attitudes on participation in clinical drug trials: A nationally representative survey of older adults with multimorbidity.Journal of the American Geriatrics Society · 2024Article
- Why are older adults living with the complexity of multiple long-term conditions, frailty and a recent deterioration in health under-served by research? A narrative synthesis review of the literature.Journal of frailty, sarcopenia and falls · 2023Review
- "Researcher" bias: How our assumptions on technology affect research of older adults.Frontiers in public health · 2022Article
- Participants' Comprehension of the Informed Consent in an Epidemiological Study on Dementia Prevalence: A Qualitative Study.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2021Article
- Article
- Pregnant women's experiences and perceptions of participating in the EVERREST prospective study; a qualitative study.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2019Article
- Mitochondrial respiratory chain function and content are preserved in the skeletal muscle of active very old men and women.Experimental gerontology · 2018Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundRecruitment rates of older people in epidemiological studies, although relatively higher than in clinical trials, have declined in recent years. This study aimed to explore motivating factors and concerns among older participants in an intensive epidemiological study (Hertfordshire Sarcopenia Study - HSS) and identify those that could aid future recruitment to epidemiological studies and clinical trials.
methodsParticipants of the HSS fasted overnight and travelled several hours each way to the research facility at an English hospital for extensive diet/lifestyle questionnaires and investigations to assess muscle including blood tests and a muscle biopsy. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 13 participants (ten women) at the research facility in May-October 2015. The interviews were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim, coded and analysed thematically by three researchers.
resultsWe identified personal motives for participation (potential health benefit for self and family; curiosity; comparing own fitness to others; socialising). Altruistic motives (benefit for other people; belief in importance of research) were also important. Participants voiced a number of external motives related to the study uniqueness, organisation and safety record; family support; and just 'being asked'. Anxiety about the biopsy and travel distance were the only concerns and were alleviated by smooth and efficient running of the study.
conclusionsPersonal and altruistic reasons were important motivators for these older people to participate in demanding, intensive research. They valued belonging to a birth cohort with previous research experience, but personal contact with the research team before and after consent provided reassurance, aided recruitment to HSS and could be readily replicated by other researchers. Any fears or concerns related to certain aspects of a demanding, intensive study should ideally be explored at an early visit to establish a good relationship with the research team.
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