title: Enhancing the participation of african americans in health-related genetic research: findings of a collaborative academic and community-based research study.
abstract: The involvement of African Americans in research has long been expressed as a concern by the scientific community. While efforts have been undertaken to identify factors inhibiting the participation of African Americans in health-related research, few efforts have been undertaken to have highlight factors associated with their engagement of health-related research. An exploratory study of factors presumed to be associated with participation in health-related research was conducted among a nonprobability sample of African Americans (n = 212) from a large urban community in the Midwest. The study was guided by a framework that hypothesized the influence of knowledge, beliefs, and perceptions about genetics and the involvement of providers in decision-making on willingness to participate in health-related genetic research. The results revealed that knowledge, beliefs, and perceptions about genetics and the involvement of providers were associated with willingness to engage in health-related genetic research (P < .05). The most interesting, however, was that 88.7% of the participants who had not previously been involved in a health-related study who expressed a willingness to participate reported that they "had never been asked." Study findings suggest the need for research that further examines factors associated with the involvement of African Americans in health-related genetic research.
authors.affiliation: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee College of Nursing, 1921 E Hartford Avenue, P.O. Box 413, Cunningham Hall, Room 422/423, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Millon Underwood
authors.affiliation: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee College of Nursing, 1921 E Hartford Avenue, P.O. Box 413, Cunningham Hall, Room 422/423, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA.
authors.forename: Aaron G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Buseh
authors.affiliation: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee College of Nursing, Center for Nursing Research and Evaluation, WI 53201, USA.
authors.forename: Sheryl T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Kelber
authors.affiliation: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee College of Nursing, 1921 E Hartford Avenue, P.O. Box 413, Cunningham Hall, Room 422/423, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA.
authors.forename: Patricia E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.affiliation: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee College of Nursing, 1921 E Hartford Avenue, P.O. Box 413, Cunningham Hall, Room 422/423, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA.
authors.forename: Leolia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Townsend