Franco, Courtny L.

e24122 Background: Using multiple channels and theory-based recruitment messaging are strategies to enroll diverse audiences in cancer clinical trials (CCTs) and reducing sociodemographic health disparities. 1-7 Customizing recruitment content to participants, such as including race-concordant images (i.e., images that match participants race/ethnicity) and translating information to a community-level (i.e., message framing) is linked to positive health-seeking behavior among minorities and their intention to enroll in clinical trials. 8,9 Drawing on Communication Accommodation Theory and social identity theories, this paper evaluated recruitment channels used to successfully enroll underrepresented participants in CCTs, and preferences for race-concordant images and message framing. Methods: Social media ads, flyers, and postcards were used to recruit rural, African American/Black, and Hispanic adults interested in cancer prevention and screening. Participants ( N = 430, M = 40 years old, SD = 14.47, range 18-85) were recruited to the study with unique links to track the stimuli they viewed, and demographics were collected. Participants viewed one of four images and one of two motivational recruitment message frames. Specifically, given our interest in recruiting rural, African American/Black, and Hispanic populations to CCTs, three images were selected to feature each population, and a fourth Inclusive image featuring all three. Additionally, the person-centered message frame conveyed participating in research is motivated by one’s own benefit, whereas the other-centered frame conveyed motivation for other people’s benefit. Results: In social media ads, across a three-week campaign there were 2,653 clicks on recruitment stimuli ads, resulting in a 6.17% response rate of recruited and enrolled. Across all recruitment channels, enrolled participants engaged with the Inclusive (n = 202) and Black/African American (n = 130) recruitment stimuli the most. In the case of framing, person- (n = 174) and other-centered (n = 199) had similar engagement. Investigating within-race preferences, a chi-square analyses revealed Black/African American participants preference for Inclusive (n = 172) and Black/African American (n = 109) visuals over Hispanic (n = 13) and Rural (n = 17), X 2 (30, N = 419) = 194.94, p < .001; as well as preference for other-centered (n = 180) vs person-centered (n = 129) framing, X 2 (30, N = 419) = 183.95, p < .001. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that Black/African American participants are more likely to interact with race-concordant or sociodemographic inclusive stimuli, and a preference for other-oriented framing. To reduce health disparities in CCT participation, recruitment must avoid monolithic approaches and instead segment outreach by sociolinguistic and social identity factors.

Abstract Rural health disparities in the United States remain poorly understood, in part due to inconsistent definitions of “rurality” and the failure to integrate both geographic and socially constructed dimensions of place. This commentary draws from insights shared during the panel “Addressing Diversity in Cancer Prevention, Control, and Survivorship Within Rural Communities” at the 2024 Transforming Community and Rural Healthcare (TCRH) conference. Panelists emphasized the limitations of current rural-urban classification systems, which often overlook the intersectional identities, cultural heterogeneity, and lived experiences of rural populations. They advocated for integrating community-based participatory research (CBPR) and identity-based approaches to define rurality more holistically. Such methods prioritize self-identification, social determinants of health (SDOH), and localized knowledge, allowing for a more accurate assessment of cancer disparities and the development of equitable interventions. The commentary outlines how geophysical and census-based metrics, although convenient, can misrepresent rural communities and inadvertently perpetuate disparities in cancer care access, outcomes, and policy. The authors argue for an identity- and community-centered conceptualization of rurality that is dynamic, inclusive, and responsive to the complexity of rural life.