Table 2.

Recruitment and retention strategies and solutions

Recruitment challenge	Recruitment solution/strategy
Lack of trust of the researchers and the research process	Promotora/CHW to assist with recruit, identify and screen potential participants, schedule appointments, and support data collection
	Bilingual, bicultural staff working on the program
	Use established community connections to disseminate study materials (e.g., churches to invite congregations)
	Do not ask for social security numbers
Lack of insurance	Do not use lack of insurance as an exclusion criteria
	Use the EASY tool, so that only participants who have new or uncontrolled conditions need to get medical clearance
Working late into life	Conduct data collection in the community
	Flexible testing times and class times (e.g., early evenings and weekends as possibilities)
Acute and chronic illnesses	Flexible testing times (e.g., to make up missed classes due to appointments)
Reliable phone contact	Get the name and phone number of three other people who could be contacted
Low literacy makes consent and data collection a lengthy process	Adapt consent forms to a lower reading level (e.g., sixth grade level) and have a data collector administer questionnaires interview style
	Break up data collection appointments to avoid overwhelming participants in one sitting
Lack of safety (e.g., potential participants who would rely on walking to the intervention site)	Advise participants to walk with someone (e.g., another participant)
	Use phone app to share real-time location with others/research staff
Retention challenge	Retention solution/strategy
Travel to home country (e.g., Mexico)	Flexible class times (e.g., to make up missed classes)
Work responsibilities (e.g., changes in work schedules for participants during the study)	Flexible class times, including early evening (e.g., to make up missed classes)
Caring for family members (e.g., child care)	Involve family members in classes
Acute and chronic illnesses	Flexible class times (e.g., to make up missed classes due to appointments)
Transportation problems (e.g., car trouble, too expensive, rely on another participant who can no longer attend)	Reimburse travel expenses; provide bus passes
	Create a carpool among participants
Religious holidays (e.g., Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe, Christmas days in December)	Flexible class times (e.g., to make up missed classes)
	Add classes to the end of the program
Lack of safety (e.g., potential participants who would rely on walking to the intervention site)	Advise participants to walk with someone (e.g., another participant)
	Use phone app to share real-time location with others/research staff
Spanish speakers and bilinguals in the same class	Have a bilingual instructor and maintain a comfortable emotional climate for all to feel received
	Have classes in Spanish only
Weather	Host PA interventions during warmer months
Caregiving	Offer childcare during PA interventions
	Create intergenerational PA interventions

CHW community health workers; EASY Exercise Assessment and Screening for You; PA physical activity.