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Why Do People Participate in Epidemiological Research?

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Abstract

Many assumptions are made about public willingness to participate in epidemiological research, yet few empirical studies have been conducted to ascertain whether such assumptions are correct. Our qualitative study of the public and of expert stakeholders leads us to suggest that people are generally prepared to participate in epidemiological research, particularly if it is conducted by a trusted public institution such as a government health department, charity, or university. However, there is widespread community distrust of research conducted or sponsored by pharmaceutical companies. Individuals are prompted to take part if the study concerns an illness they or a family member or friend have personally experienced or if they believe the research will confer a widespread public benefit. Preferences vary about the mode of contact for the research to be conducted. Willingness to participate in telephone surveys has decreased in recent years, and this may be a consequence of an increase in calls to homes by telemarketers and market researchers. Participants also stressed the importance of knowing where their names and contact details were sourced and suggested that this information be available to prospective study participants as a matter of course in the first approach or letter. We provide valuable information to epidemiologists in designing studies.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge receipt of funding from Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council to conduct the research study from which this paper is drawn.

Source of Support

The article is part of a research project “Privacy and Participation in Epidemiological Research” funded by The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), Australia, grant #545957.

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The authors declare no conflict of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, The Alfred Centre, Commercial Road, Melbourne, Victoria, 3004, Australia

    Claudia Slegers, Deborah Zion, Deborah Glass, Helen Kelsall & Bebe Loff

  2. RDNS Institute, Royal District Nursing Service, 31 Alma Road, St. Kilda, Victoria, 3182, Australia

    Claudia Slegers

  3. The Centre for Cultural Diversity & Wellbeing, Footscray Nicholson Campus, Victoria University, P.O. Box 14428, Melbourne, Victoria, 8001, Australia

    Deborah Zion

  4. Western Australian Institute of Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands Campus, Western Australia, 6009, Australia

    Lin Fritschi

  5. School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Bentley Campus, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, 6102, Australia

    Lin Fritschi

  6. Poche Centre for Indigenous Health, Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia

    Ngiare Brown

  7. Graduate School of Medicine, Building 28, University of Wollongong, Northfields Avenue, Wollongong, New South Wales, 2522, Australia

    Ngiare Brown

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  1. Claudia Slegers
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  2. Deborah Zion
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  3. Deborah Glass
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  4. Helen Kelsall
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  5. Lin Fritschi
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  6. Ngiare Brown
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  7. Bebe Loff
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Correspondence to Claudia Slegers.

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Slegers, C., Zion, D., Glass, D. et al. Why Do People Participate in Epidemiological Research?. Bioethical Inquiry 12, 227–237 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11673-015-9611-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11673-015-9611-2

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