Enhancing the matching model of recruitment through focus groups.

The present paper discusses recruitment of older African-Americans for a psycho-physiological study using the matching model of recruitment proposed by Levkoff, Levy, and Weitzman (2000). The hallmark of the model by Levkoff et al. is that there must be a match between research and minority communities' perspectives in order for successful recruitment and retention of minority participants. The model by Levkoff et al. of recruitment differs from other recruitment strategies as it incorporates perspectives from both researchers and research institutions, as well as potential minority participants. The importance of holding pre-recruitment community focus groups based upon the tenets of the matching model of recruitment are discussed in this paper, and a community-based partnership research model is presented.