Building informed consent for cholinesterase monitoring among pesticide handlers in Washington State.
BACKGROUND
Pesticide handlers in Washington State are predominantly Mexican and, therefore, require a culturally appropriate process of informed consent. In addition, members of this occupational group are vulnerable to coercion because of poverty, lack of insurance, inability to read, and employment status


METHODS
To create a process of culturally competent informed consent for Washington State's cholinesterase monitoring program, we used focus groups to collect data about cultural beliefs, attitudes, knowledge, language, and traditions of Mexican-American pesticide handlers. With this information, we developed a final consent form and evaluated it using a 10-item test-retest questionnaire in a sample of 103 handlers.


RESULTS
Using qualitative methods, we created English and Spanish consent forms that incorporated culturally defined risk information. Both the written and audiotape formats significantly improved comprehension; but, for subjects with less than 7 years of schooling, audiotapes in Spanish yielded significantly higher scores (mean comprehension score 7.0 vs. 6.1, t = - 2.2, P = 0.03).


CONCLUSIONS
Culturally competent informed consent for particularly vulnerable populations of non-native speakers of English is possible. It requires both knowledge of specific cultural elements and the application of appropriate technology.
Weyrauch
Karl F
KF
Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center, Department of Environmental Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98105, USA. karlweyrauch@hotmail.com
Boiko
Patricia E
PE
Keifer
Matt
M
D000328:Adult; D002802:Cholinesterases / Q000097:blood*; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D016272:Occupational Health; D010575:Pesticides; D011996:Records; D014861:Washington
D010575:Pesticides; D002802:Cholinesterases