Recruitment and retention of older adolescent and young adult female survivors of childhood cancer in longitudinal research
| Autor: | Melissa M. Hudson, Alyssa Canino, Kaye Herth, Mary Ann Cantrell, Teresa M. Conte, Sinead Kemmy, Kathy Ruble, Aziza T. Shad |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2012 |
| Předmět: |
Gerontology
Research design Longitudinal study Patient Dropouts Adolescent Population Pilot Projects Article Young Adult Quality of life (healthcare) Computer Systems Intervention (counseling) Neoplasms Outcome Assessment Health Care Medicine Humans Multicenter Studies as Topic Psychology Longitudinal Studies Survivors Young adult education Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic education.field_of_study Internet business.industry Patient Selection Pediatric cancer Research Design Sample Size Quality of Life Feasibility Studies Female business Psychosocial Attitude to Health Goals |
| Zdroj: | Oncology nursing forum. 39(5) |
| ISSN: | 1538-0688 |
| Popis: | Conducting studies to test the efficacy of targeted interventions among childhood cancer survivors is an identified need to advance their care and to improve their health-related quality of life (HRQOL) (Finnegan et al., 2009; Kazak et al., 2010; Speechley, Barrera, Shaw, Morrison, & Maunsell, 2006; Zeltzer et al., 2008). Researchers across disciplines have identified subgroups of childhood cancer survivors at risk for poorer HRQOL (Hudson et al., 2003; Kazak et al., 2010; Zeltzer et al., 2009). Female survivors of childhood cancer are one subgroup of survivors at risk for poorer physical and psychosocial functioning after treatment (Armstrong, Sklar, Hudson, & Robison, 2007; Shankar et al., 2005; Wu et al., 2007; Zelter et al., 2009). Although conducting investigations among childhood cancer survivors is essential for promoting their physical and emotional well-being, recruitment can be a challenge. Survivors of pediatric cancer are a challenging clinical population to recruit and retain as research participants (Hinds, Burghen, Haase, & Phillips, 2006; Patenaude & Kupst, 2005; Smith & Hare, 2004; Tercyak, Donze, Prahlad, Mosher, & Shad, 2006). The recruitment and retention of older adolescent and young adult (AYA) childhood cancer survivors for research studies may be even more challenging because of their developmental stage, lifestyle characteristics, and less frequent contact with pediatric oncology centers (Tercyak et al., 2006). The purpose of the article is to describe the planning and design of a longitudinal study to maximize the recruitment and retention of a sample of AYA female survivors of childhood cancer. The article also reports the multiple strategies and efforts of, as well as the challenges encountered by, the study team in the recruitment and retention of the survivors at the 18-month mark of the recruitment phase in a three-year study. Van Mechelen and Mellenbergh (1997) posited that longitudinal studies provide the only method for directly studying the natural course of human growth and development. In addition, longitudinal studies are critical to measuring the short-term and long-term effects of intervention research. Regardless of the objective, longitudinal research involves the successive measurement of the same participants’ attributes at different points in time. Decisions in the design and planning of a longitudinal study involve the number of study participants, the use of a control group, the number of measurement times, the time between measurement points, type and number of measurement instruments, and methods of data collection and storage (Van Mechelen & Mellenbergh, 1997). Those design decisions, as well as careful attention in the development of the intervention, were considered by the principal investigator (PI) and study team. Design decisions were based on published literature describing recruitment issues with survivors of and patients with pediatric cancer, as well as developmental and lifestyle characteristics of young adult females thought to influence their interest and continued participation in a research study. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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