The purpose of this two-year pilot project is to evaluate data collection methods and strategies for recruitment and retention of African-American and White women (ages 30-45) of low socioeconomic status for inclusion into the TREMIN Research Program on Women's Health in order to examine disparities in menstrual health and disease of women as they age. The TREMIN is the world's oldest longitudinal study of menstruation throughout women's live. There are three specific aims for the project: 1) Evaluate a specific set of procedures to recruit and retain representative probability samples of low income African-American and White women as participants in the TREMIN, 2) Experimentally test the cost efficiency and effects of different levels of incentives on response rates and one-year retention rates, and 3) Evaluate the use of web and email based options for collecting data on menstrual patterns and health from the respondents. Eight hundred women (400 African-American, 400 White), ages 30-45 in the Harrisburg PA area, will be contacted through a pre-notification letter and a follow-up telephone call using listed samples of persons in low income census tracts. Volunteers will then be assigned to one of eight experimental groups based on race, high ($5) or low ($2) initial mailed incentive, and high ($50) or low ($15) incentives provided throughout the one-year data collection process. The women will be given the option of responding to the research instruments, (two health surveys and twelve monthly menstrual calendars), through mailed paper self-report forms or using Web and email modes. A small random sample (30) of respondents without Internet access will be provided access during the period of the study. Findings from this project will be used to prepare a proposal to NIA for a longitudinal study of menstrual disparities and related-health problems and diseases of aging, through expansion of the TREMIN Research Program on Women's Health, using effective strategies to recruit and retain women of diverse racial/ethnic and ses backgrounds and updated methodologies for data collection.
