Olga Alvarez Lopez

Dr. Olga Alvarez Lopez

Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Mississippi, USA

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

5Years (2022-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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22 June 2022 in Children
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
FCFrancisco Cartujano-Barrera
Francisco Cartujano-Barrera
RHRuthmarie Hernandez-Torres
Ruthmarie Hernandez-Torres
RORAFAEL H ORFIN
RAFAEL H ORFIN
ACArlette Chavez
Arlette Chavez
OLOlga Alvarez Lopez
Olga Alvarez Lopez
AMAlejandra mendoza
Alejandra mendoza
The purpose of this study was to assesses the effectiveness of proactive and reactive methods in the recruitment of Black and Latino adolescents into a vaping-prevention randomized controlled trial (RCT). This study also assessed the characteristics of study participants by recruitment method. Proactive recruitment strategies included study presentations at community-based events (e.g., festivals, health fairs), school-based events (e.g., back-to-school events, after-school programs), and recreational centers (e.g., fitness centers, malls). Reactive recruitment strategies included study advertisements via social media (e.g., Facebook posts shared by local community-based organizations), word of mouth, and an academic-based research hub. Using proactive and reactive methods, in a 4-month period, 362 Black and Latino adolescents were successfully enrolled into the RCT. Compared to the proactive method, adolescents screened reactively were equally likely to be eligible but significantly more likely to enroll in the study. However, both proactive and reactive strategies made notable contributions to the overall recruitment effort. Moreover, proactive and reactive methods attracted adolescents with different characteristics (e.g., age, gender, sexual orientation, etc.). These findings suggest that both proactive and reactive recruitment strategies should be implemented for studies interested in recruiting a diverse sample of Black and Latino adolescents.