141st APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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Recorded Annual Meeting Presentations (RAMP) are now available for purchase.
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Online Program

283196
Socioeconomic status, knowledge and religiosity in willingness to participate in cancer clinical trials


Monday, November 4, 2013

Jingbo Meng, M.A., Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Margaret Mclaughlin, PhD, Annenberg School for Communication, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Katrina Pariera, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Sheila Murphy, PhD, Annenberg School of Communication, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Nan Zhao, MPH, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Background: Of all adults diagnosed with cancer and other chronic diseases, enrollment in clinical trials is less than 5 percent of those eligible to enroll, and of those, only ten percent are minorities (Vickers et al., 2010; Mills et al., 2006). While past research has primarily focused on barriers to participation in clinical trials, this research tests a model that includes both barriers and potential facilitators to willingness to participate (WTP).

Method: 543 randomly selected adults took part in an online national health survey that quantitatively assessed knowledge of and attitudes toward participating in clinical trials.

Results: A structural equation model (SEM) revealed that religious activities, distrust in medical research and barriers to participate in clinical trials negatively predicated WTP, while knowledge in clinical trials positively predicted WTP. In terms of more distal background factors, individuals with low levels of education were more likely to distrust in medical research and have less knowledge of clinical trials. Income was positively associated with greater knowledge and WTP. African Americans were more religious and had more religious activities than whites, and they showed a higher distrust in medical research than whites.

Conclusion: Socioeconomic status (SES) as measured by both education and income were positively associated with knowledge of clinical trials and trust in medical research and WTP in clinical trials. Interestingly, self-reported religious activity was negatively associated with WTP. These results suggest that recruitment for clinical trials at places of worship may present both a challenge and an opportunity, particularly among African Americans.

Learning Areas:

Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Explain the relationship between income, education, religious activity and ethnicity and willingness to participate in clinical trials. Identify potential barriers and facilitators in willingness to participate in clinical trials.

Keyword(s): Clinical Trials, Minorities

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Nan’s primary research interest is focused on the understanding of health and social well-being of multiethnic urban neighborhoods. Her recent work has concentrated on exploring the potential of narrative communication (e.g., identification and involvement), cultural level factors (e.g., social norms), and community storytelling network in reducing health disparities. She is also interested in innovative applications of media technologies in health interventions and campaigns, especially in resource-limited developing countries.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 3085.0: Cancer Disparities, Patient Navigation, and Minority Clinical Trial Enrollment