Florida Statewide Registry for Aging Studies Research Call to Action

By Cynthia Morton – The Florida Statewide Registry for Aging Studies (FSRAS) is looking for Caribbeans, African Americans, and Hispanics who are 65+ and their adult children (25 and older) to participate in a small-group listening session about health communications and health registry websites. A health registry is where interested people can find out about getting involved in ongoing research, read more about research results, or volunteer for participation. People interested in being included in FSRAS research will join a 90-minute online conversation to share their opinions about existing health registry sites with others. Participants who complete the study will receive a $50 gift card for their time.

Research supports the idea that racial and ethnic minorities are more likely to be underrepresented in health research. Caribbeans, African Americans, and Hispanics 65 years and older are the fastest-growing segments of Florida’s population. The goals for FSRAS are to 1) identify strategies that promote minority recruitment and enrollment into aging research, 2) launch a statewide registry to include culturally diverse adults, and 3) track the registry’s effectiveness in participation among these groups. The project taps into the idea that family members from one generation, whether older or younger, can influence family members from another generation on decisions about healthy aging.

Inadequate outreach to minority communities, poor communication about the need for volunteers from ethnic minority groups, and a historical mistrust of research and institutions associated with health research contribute to low minority recruitment into clinical research.

The consequences of this low recruitment could mean that health research does not recognize a need for different interventions and treatments for minority patients. In fact, health recommendations could be ineffective for minorities because of their exclusion in health research.

The FSRAS project will build stronger partnerships between health researchers and ethnic communities by making health information and volunteer opportunities more available to ethnic communities. For more information about participating in an FSRAS listening session, call Cynthia Morton at the study’s toll-free number, 888-210-2444, or email agingstudyfl@gmail.com.