Date Approved

2018

Degree Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department or School

Health Sciences

Committee Member

Irwin Martin, Ph.D., Chair

Committee Member

Jean Rowan, M.D., M.S.

Abstract

Effective recruitment is key to any clinical trial success. Recruitment of Generation Y (18-34 years old) is quite challenging as they seem to be the least willing group to participate in a clinical trial. The purpose of this study was to find methods that are most appropriate for recruiting the 18-to 34-year-old (Generation Y) subgroup. To capture this information, an online survey was sent to over 2,000 graduate and undergraduate students. Through this survey, information was gathered regarding participant’s willingness to participate in a clinical trial and their preferred recruitment methods. The possible recruitment methods included newspaper advertising, news websites, television (TV) advertising, radio advertising, and social media. Of social media, the options were LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, or other (if none of the above). Of the 2,000 university addresses, 61 students in the age group 18-34 years completed the survey. The most preferred recruitment method was newspaper advertising, news website, and social media as compared to television or radio advertising. Across social media platforms, the preferred recruitment method of recruitment was Facebook. Among the respondents, undergraduate students were more willing to participate in a clinical trial than graduate students. Participant’s age, ethnicity, and academic major had no impact on their willingness to participate and their choice of recruitment method. Overall, the results indicate that the newspaper advertising, news websites, and social media (Facebook) were preferred methods to recruit this age group. The results of this study are tentative due to the small sample size and low response rate. Future studies will be required to definitively address this question.

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