Cost-effective Recruitment for Healthy Eating Programs
Author Information
Author(s): McDonald Paul W
Primary Institution: University of Waterloo
Hypothesis
Is classified newspaper advertising an effective method for recruiting participants into healthy eating programs?
Conclusion
Classified advertisements are a highly cost-efficient method for recruiting a diverse range of participants into healthy eating programs.
Supporting Evidence
- The cost per recruit was Can $1.11, significantly lower than traditional methods.
- Segmenting messages by stage of change improved recruitment rates.
- The study attracted participants who are at moderate health risk based on BMI and education levels.
Takeaway
This study found that using newspaper ads is a cheap way to get people to join healthy eating programs, and different messages can help reach more people.
Methodology
Three advertisements were placed in a local newspaper for 5 days, targeting different stages of behavioral change.
Potential Biases
The recruitment method may not reach all segments of the population equally, potentially excluding those with very low or very high health risks.
Limitations
The study had a modest sample size and lacked a suitable control group for comparison.
Participant Demographics
Mean age of respondents was 34.3 years, with 203 women and 79 men participating.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
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