R. Patti Herring, PhD, RN¹, Antronette K. Yancey, MD, MPH², Susanne B. Montgomery, PhD, MPH³, Gary Fraser, MD, PhD⁴, and Terry Butler, DrPH⁴. (1) Health Promotion & Education, Loma Linda University, School of Public Health, Nichol Hall, Loma Linda, CA 92350, 909/558-8729, pherring@sph.llu.edu, (2) School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Box 951772, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772, (3) Dept. of Health Promotion & Education, School of Public Health, Loma Linda University, Nicol Hall Room 1511, Loma Linda, CA 92350, (4) Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Loma Linda University, School of Public Health, Evans Hall, Room 203, Loma Linda, CA 92350

Blacks experience a disproportionately higher burden of morbidity and mortality from many diseases, which may be largely attributed to socioeconomic and cultural factors. Their underrepresentation in public health research studies contributes to a lack of understanding of these determinants, and a paucity of culturally relevant interventions effective in eliminating health disparities. Blacks are less likely to participate in research as a result of distrust, researcher cultural incompetence, lack of perceived benefits, and other barriers tied to historical exploitation of Black communities by medical researchers. The Adventist Health Study-2, a large, NCI-funded cohort study endeavoring to recruit 45,000 Blacks and 80,000 Whites, is confronting the common challenge of lower response rates among Blacks. To improve enrollment and questionnaire return rates, we pilot tested offering Black art posters as an alternative to the established $10 incentive during a Black History Month campaign. Members of 65 participating churches, with a total of 14,730 members, located in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, chose between two posters or a $10 check if they returned their questionnaires within two weeks. Returns after two weeks chose between one of the posters and $10. Fifty-one churches, with a total membership of 16,817 in the same states, received only the standard $10 incentive upon completion. The overwhelming response of pastors and church representatives wanting to recruit members into the study during February in order to receive the artwork led to an increase in numbers of posters ordered from 1000 to 2500. Comparative results will be analyzed and reported.

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