Background
Black older adults remain underrepresented in clinical research. Howard University researchers in Washington, DC analyzed recruitment data from 16 Alzheimer’s disease studies to identify the most effective strategies for engaging Black adults age 50 and older in clinical trials.
Findings
Of 3,266 people screened, 2,830 were Black and nearly three-quarters were women. Health fairs (43%) and targeted advertisements (15%) were the most effective recruitment strategies among Black volunteers, while family and personal referrals were especially important for recruiting Black men.
Citation
Graham LA, Ngwa J, Ntekim O, et al. Best strategies to recruit and enroll elderly Blacks into clinical and biomedical research. Clin Interv Aging. 13:43-50. doi: 10.2147/CIA.S130112 (2018)
The study is available at Clinical Interventions in Aging.
*Content last updated September 2026
