Race/Ethnicity and Retention in Traumatic Brain Injury Outcomes Research
A Consumer Digest of Model System Research:
What is the study about?
This study investigated the contribution of race/ethnicity to retention in traumatic brain injury (TBI) research at one to two years post-injury.
What did the study find?
This study found that retention rates one to two years post-TBI were significantly lower for Hispanic participants (85.2%) than for white (91.8%) or black participants (90.5%), but only among participants with no history of problem alcohol or drug use. There was no difference in retention rates between whites, blacks, and Hispanics with a history of problem alcohol or drug use. Older age, lower education, violent cause of injury, and discharge to an institution versus private residence were also associated with low retention.
Who participated in the study?
Participants (n= 7685) included those enrolled in the TBIMS National Database who were 16 years and older at time of injury; medically documented complicated mild, moderate, or severe TBI; admission to a TBIMS acute care hospital within 72 hours of injury; completion of inpatient rehabilitation within the TBIMS; and informed consent obtained. Of the 7685 participants, 5548 were white, 1347 were black, and 790 were Hispanic.
How was the study conducted?
Participants included were those enrolled in the National Database of the National Institute for Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) TBI Model Systems (TBIMS) program. Twenty-two centers contributed to the dataset for this analysis, for individuals with dates of injury between October 1, 2002, and March 31, 2013. The race/ethnicity category was determined by asking the persons with injury or their caregiver. For this study, retention was defined as completion of at least one question on either the one or two year follow-up interview by the person with TBI or a proxy.
How can people use the results?
People who study and treat people with TBI should be aware of the relatively disproportionate number of people of Hispanic heritage who do not participate in clinical followup for their injury. The researchers suggest that there may be important strategies which may increase retention, including: making research participation convenient and less burdensome; accounting for transportation issues; compensating participants for the cost of transportation and parking; and offering follow-ups outside normal work hours for those who work in industries with irregular work hours.
Reference
Sander, Angelle M., Lequerica, Anthony H., Ketchum, Jessica M., Hammond, Flora M., Gary, Kelli Williams., Pappadis, Monique R., Felix, Elizabeth R., Johnson-Greene, Douglas, Bushnik, Tamara (2018). Race/Ethnicity and Retention in Traumatic Brain Injury Outcomes Research: A Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems National Database Study.. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 33(4), 219-227.[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29863614]