Strategies for Engaging Latino Immigrant Men in a Community-Based Alcohol Research Study

Introduction: Despite efforts to understand patterns of alcohol use among Latino immigrant men, these men remain underrepresented in community-based studies. Barriers to their participation include fear and mistrust from a history of exploitation, lack of culturally appropriate recruitment and engagement strategies, the difficult contemporary environment for immigrant populations, as well as daily competing priorities. Methods: We conducted in-depth interviews with a sample of participants (N=30) in the Vida PURA study, an evaluation of a culturally-adapted screening and brief intervention to reduce unhealthy alcohol use (N=181). We used community-based participatory research (CBPR) principles and approaches to engage study participants. Interviews were audio-recorded and conducted in Spanish. They included questions on motives for participating in research, and best methods for reaching members of this population. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed in Spanish. Transcripts were coded and reviewed, to identify themes. Results: Findings indicated that the most commonly reported motive for study participation was relevance of the topic to their lives, followed by receiving fair compensation for their time. Lastly, some of these men participated from a sense of solidarity with the Latino community. Other factors contributing to study participation included relationship building as conducted by promotores. Most participants were engaged from culturally-sensitive promotores who made participants feel comfortable when sharing their stories. For recruitment and retention strategies, all participants specified the importance of the visibility of the bilingual Latino research team within the worker center and throughout the study. While some participants mentioned their access to email or Facebook, the majority preferred being contacted via text or phone. Overall, in-person contact was preferred. These results reflect the importance of the Latino cultural value of “personalismo,” personal attention in establishing affective connections and working relationships. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that engaging theses underserved communities requires culturally-responsive communications and CBPR-based engagement strategies that promote trust and good will. This cultural approach also extends beyond recruitment and engagement, to efforts in intervention acceptability and involvement.