Challenges and Costs Related to Recruitment of Female Adolescents for Clinical Research

Addressing health issues in adolescents is a national priority. However, recruitment of adolescents into research studies can be challenging and costly. The purpose of this article was to compare procedures, costs, and challenges in recruiting female adolescents from two hospitals and two high schools in an urban area of the southern United States. Three studies will be described. The findings indicate that the choice of recruitment procedures and sites has major implications for study budget in terms of personnel time as well as for the timeline of the study.