title: Exploring Willingness of Elder Chinese in Houston to Participate in Clinical Research.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Inadequate minority participation in clinical research can threaten the applicability and strength of scientific findings. Previous research suggests that trial participation rates are lowest among Asian Americans, compared to other groups. This study explored barriers to clinical research participation among elder Chinese living in Houston, Texas. Additionally we administered the Trust in Medical Researchers Scale (TIMRS), used previously in researching trust in medical researchers as related to research participation.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this mixed methods study, a semi-structured interview, including the TIMRS were administered to 30 adults of Chinese ancestry aged 50 years or older recruited from a Chinese community center. Interviews were conducted in English, Mandarin and Cantonese and independently coded and analyzed using thematic content analysis. TIMRS scores were calculated for participants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants were 70% female, 70% were 60 or elder, all were foreign born and on average lived in the US for 21.8 years. Participants perceived risks to research participation and preferred language concordant research staff. Interviewees were more willing to participate if they perceived personal and community health-related benefits. The overall TIMRS score was 23.9 (±5.0), lower than the overall TIMRS for Whites in a previous study (P<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The barriers and facilitators to research participation confirmed previous research among Asians. Our participant TIMRS scores were consistent with decreased levels of trust observed in the original TIMRS study for African Americans as compared and lower than Whites. Employing strategies that utilize language concordant staff who build trust with participants may aid in recruiting elder Chinese, especially if the research is personally relevant to those being recruited.
authors.affiliation: The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UT Health) School of Public Health, Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences, 1200 Hermann Pressler, Houston TX USA 77030.
authors.forename: Logan R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Thornton
authors.affiliation: The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UT Health) School of Public Health, Department of Biostatistics, 1200 Hermann Pressler, Houston TX USA 77030.
authors.forename: Rossybelle P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Amorrortu
authors.affiliation: Medical University of South Carolina, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 100 Doughty Street, Charleston SC USA 29425.
authors.forename: Daniel W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: University of Florida, Department of Health Services Research, Management and Policy, Health Science Center, PO Box 100195 Gainesville FL 32610.
authors.forename: Arch G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Mainous
authors.affiliation: The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UT Health) School of Public Health, Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences, 1200 Hermann Pressler, Houston TX USA 77030.
authors.forename: Sally W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Vernon
authors.affiliation: The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UT Health) School of Public Health, Department of Biostatistics, 1200 Hermann Pressler, Houston TX USA 77030.
authors.forename: Barbara C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Tilley
keywords: Chinese; elder adults; minority; recruitment; trial participation; trust