0847 Recruiting Older Adult Couples for Remote Research: Digital Ads and Community Outreach in Tandem

Abstract Introduction Enrolling a diverse and representative sample of older adults in sleep research is critical to generalizability. The goal of this study is to describe lessons learned in recruitment for a remote sample of couples in which one partner has age-related cognitive decline, focusing on how recruitment strategies influenced inclusion of Spanish-speaking participants. Methods The Couples, Healthy Aging, Rhythms & Sleep (CHARMS) study is a fully remote longitudinal study of sleep and cognition among couples where one partner has age-related decline. Prospective participants completed an initial phone or online survey, then both partners completed the Modified Telephone Interview for Cognition (mTICS). Couples were eligible if one partner scored ≤31 and the other ≥32. The protocol included mailed equipment for one night of respiration monitoring and seven days of actigraphy alongside text-based sleep diaries. Coordinators tracked recruitment source, screening outcomes, consent, and language, summarizing yield by source and demographics. Results The study enrolled 184 couples using a multi-pronged recruitment strategy. A total of 3,277 individuals initiated screening (n = 368 eligible). Meta ads generated the largest volume (n = 1,339; 242 eligible), followed by electronic medical record (EMR) recruitment (n = 656; 35 eligible), Center on Aging registries, and BuildClinical. Research Participant Advocates, community health workers (CHWs), and other sources contributed smaller yields. By contrast, among Spanish-speaking potential participants (n = 203), EMR recruitment, CHWs, and Meta ads all yielded similar amounts, with other sources yielding few leads. After screening, nineteen Spanish-speaking participants consented, with half (n = 8) recruited via CHWs and five via Meta ads, highlighting the contribution of CHWs to Spanish-speaking enrollment. Actigraphy adherence was high, with 92.4% providing ≥4 valid days and 82.4% completing the full 7-day schedule. Conclusion Expanding recruitment to include Meta ads and strengthening community-based approaches, particularly CHW outreach, enabled us to meet enrollment targets and improved engagement among Spanish-speaking participants. Remote, couples-based longitudinal studies may benefit from multi-pronged recruitment strategies that combine social media advertising with community-engaged methods. Budgeting for flexible recruitment, tracking recruitment source and language, and being prepared to adapt procedures over time may help improve enrollment, engagement, and representation. Support (if any)