Which demographic characteristics are associated with willingness to take part in recontact studies? A cross-sectional study

Background: Lower rates of participation in research by ethnic minority groups and socioeconomically deprived populations has led to efforts to develop recruitment strategies which aim to address this imbalance. Little is known about participation in recontact studies (where existing research participants are recruited to further studies). Identifying factors which predict rates of participation and retention is crucial to ensure the benefits of diversified recruitment are realised upon study completion. Methods: This secondary data analysis utilised data from the Multi-Ethnic Lifestyle Study (MELS) which was a multi-centre study. Modified Poisson regression models were applied in Stata version 18.0 to examine differences in demographic characteristics (age, gender, ethnicity, migration status, education, employment) between existing MELS participants who did and did not consent to be recontacted for future health research, (2) consent to link study data to their health records, (3) and consent to share research data with universities and the NHS. Results: A total of 6147 participants (mean age: 51.9 years, ± 17.12) were included in the analysis. Older age, higher education level (A levels or above compared to GCSEs) participants were more likely to consent to be recontacted, and to agree to link study data to their health records. South Asian participants were less likely to consent to recontact (PR = 0.79, 95% CI [0.71–0.88], p