HIV-infected African Americans are willing to participate in HIV treatment trials.

Full Abstract

BACKGROUND:
Despite the high prevalence rates of HIV infection in the African-American community, African Americans remain underrepresented in HIV treatment trials.

OBJECTIVE:
(1) To develop a questionnaire that measures attitudes and concerns about HIV treatment trials among HIV-infected African Americans at a university-based clinic. (2) To determine actual participation rates and willingness to participate in future HIV treatment trials among HIV-infected African Americans at a university-based clinic.

DESIGN:
Questionnaire development and cross-sectional survey. SETTING, PARTICIPANTS,

AND MEASUREMENTS:
In a sample of 200 HIV-infected African-American adults receiving medical care at the Pittsburgh AIDS Center for Treatment (a university-based ambulatory clinic), we assessed research participation rates and willingness to participate in future HIV treatment trials, trust in the medical profession, sociodemographic characteristics, attitudes, and concerns about HIV treatment trials.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:
Research participation rates and willingness to participate in future HIV treatment trials.

RESULTS:
Only 57% of survey respondents had ever been asked to participate in an HIV treatment trial but 86% of those asked said yes. Prior research participation was significantly related to willingness to participate in future HIV treatment trials (P = .001). Contrary to previous studies, neither trust/distrust in the medical profession nor beliefs about the dishonesty of researchers was associated with research participation rates or willingness to participate in future HIV treatment trials.

CONCLUSIONS:
Having never been asked to participate in research is a major barrier to the participation of HIV-infected African Americans in HIV treatment trials. African Americans who seek medical care for HIV infection should be asked to participate in HIV treatment trials.

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Author information

Author/s: Garber, Mandy (M); Hanusa, Barbara H (BH); Switzer, Galen E (GE); Mellors, John (J); Arnold, Robert M (RM);

Affiliation: Section of Palliative Care and Medical Ethics, Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. mandig(-atsign-)pol.net

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Journal of general internal medicine : official journal of the Society for Research and Education in Primary Care Internal Medicine (J Gen Intern Med), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2007-Jan; vol 22 (issue 1) : pp 17-42

Dates: Created 2007/03/12; Completed 2007/05/15; Revised 2008/11/20;

PMID: 17351837, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adult
African Continental Ancestry Group
Aged
Attitude to Health
Clinical Trials as Topic
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
HIV Infections - epidemiology; therapy

HIV Infections - epidemiology; therapy
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Pennsylvania - epidemiology
Questionnaires
Regression Analysis
Research Subjects

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