Tiwala, Gaining Trust to Recruit Filipino American Families: CARE -T2D Study

Abstract

Objective: Filipino Americans have greater risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D) and related complications compared to other Asian populations and non-Hispanic Whites. There are few diabetes intervention studies focused on Filipinos and limited evidence regarding the best recruitment strategies for this hard-to-reach population.Methods: This article examined barriers and facilitators to recruitment of Filipino families for the “Caring for Asian Americans through Research and Education on T2D” (CARE-T2D) study, which took place in California from June 2018 through June 2019.Results: Recruitment of 50 Filipino dyads (parent with T2D and adult child) were suc­cessfully met. Gaining trust through cultur­ally tailored strategies was key in recruiting Filipino participants. Tiwala (gaining trust) strategies involved: 1) using Filipino staff as role models for research engagement and 2) incorporating narrative communications or “kuwentuhan” (Filipino cultural storytelling) with recruitment. Other facilitating strategies included in-person presentations at local colleges and organizations, Filipino com­munity leaders’ support, snowball sampling, previous study participant listservs, and posting fliers on family/friends’ personal social media sites. Barriers to recruitment included research mistrust, confidential­ity concerns, and risks of violating cultural values.Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first study to recruit Filipino family dy­ads. Findings will inform researchers and clinicians on how best to recruit Filipino families in community health-related re­search and public health programs. Ethn Dis. 2022;32(1):49-60; doi:10.18865/ed.32.1.49