Recruitment of Older African Americans in Alzheimers Disease Clinical Trials Using A Community Based Research Approach

African Americans are disproportionally affected by Alzheimers disease and related dementia (ADRD) and are two times more likely to develop ADRD compared to their White counterparts. Despite the higher prevalence of ADRD among older African Americans, less than 5% of African Americans participate in clinical research trials. Purpose: The purpose of the study was to explore how a culturally tailored community-based recruitment method impacts 1) enrollment in ADRD research studies among older African Americans in the Midwest and 2) ADRD knowledge and perception of clinical trials. Methods: Using a community-engaged research approach, we collaborated with two predominately African American serving organizations to support the content development and the delivery of Aging With Grace (AWG); a culturally tailored dementia educational curriculum. Results: A total of five AWG presentations were presented to 66 attendees. Most attendees (67%) expressed interest in participating in clinical trials after attending AWG, 18.2% of attendees enrolled in an observational clinical research study and 4.5% enrolled in a lifestyle prevention clinical trial within 5 months of the AWG presentation. Attendees (32%) also perceived an increase in ADRD knowledge from attending AWG and 89.1% believed more African Americans should participate in research. Conclusion: The study has demonstrated the effectiveness of a community-based recruitment method using AWG to enhance knowledge, clinical trial interest, and recruitment into observational and lifestyle ADRD clinical trials among older African Americans. Future studies should assess long-term efficacy of this AWG community-based recruitment method among other underrepresented minority populations.