Lessons Learned from Community-Based Participatory Research: Recruiting Older Black Adults in Clinical Research.

INTRODUCTION: Black participants, especially older adults, remain underrepresented in clinical research due to longstanding barriers, including systemic racism within the health care system and resulting mistrust of medical and research institutions. METHODS: Using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) framework, this paper identifies facilitators and barriers for recruiting older Black adults into a community-based exercise study, emphasizing collaboration and co-learning with community members. RESULTS: Strategies include building community partnerships, developing culturally appropriate recruitment materials, eliciting community feedback, and providing meaningful, tangible benefits to participants. DISCUSSION: These facilitators illustrate effective CBPR implementation and provide a practical framework for recruitment in future research.