Intentions to Participate in Genetics Research among African American Smokers

Abstract

Although prior studies have shown that African American smokers are likely to carry some of the genetic variants associated with smoking risk, additional research with African American smokers is needed to replicate these findings. Limited information is available on interest in participating in research to identify genetic risk factors for smoking among African American smokers; therefore, the goals of the present study were to describe intentions to participate in smoking and genetics research, and to determine factors that are associated with participation intentions. Subjects were 128 African American male and female adult smokers. Sociodemographic characteristics, clinical factors, attitudes about genetic testing, and intentions to participate in genetics research were evaluated during a structured telephone interview. Overall, 58% of respondents reported that they would be very likely to participate in research to identify genetic risk factors for smoking. Greater beliefs about the benefits of participating in medical research (odds ratio, 3.17; 95% confidence interval, 1.45-6.94; P = 0.004) and fewer perceptions of the limitations and risks of genetic testing (odds ratio, 0.90; 95% confidence interval, 0.82-0.98; P = 0.01) had significant independent associations with reporting a high likelihood of participating in this type of research. Recruitment messages and protocols that address the benefits of research participation, as well as concerns about the limitations and risks of genetic testing, may enhance African American participation in research on genetics and smoking.

Anticipated Motivation for Genetic Testing among Smokers, Nonsmokers, and Former Smokers: An Exploratory Qualitative Study of Decision Making

“…All previous studies of US adults and adolescents found that the majority of respondents (57-91%) were interested in genetic testing related to smoking [15,16,18,19]. However, the statistics reported in all but one [16] of these studies were aggregated across respondents with diverse or unknown smoking histories.…”

“…The few existing studies of public perception have found moderate to high levels of interest in genetic testing predicting nicotine dependence among both smokers and nonsmokers within hypothetical testing scenarios [15,16,17,18,19]. Qualitative methods have begun to yield deeper insights into the complexity of individuals' motivations for testing.…”

Strategies and Stakeholders: Minority Recruitment in Cancer Genetics Research

“…Genetic susceptibility and its implications for treatment and prevention can matter to prospective minority research participants. One study found that African Americans involved in genetic variant research on smoking susceptibility cited future use of genetic information to improve cessation programs as a reason for participation [54]. Approaches which target those predisposed to participation provide culturally tailored and accessible materials, foster trustworthiness, and employ flexible methods, and evaluation measures can be applied to maximize involvement of racial and/or ethnic minorities and other marginalized groups.…”

Genetic research participation in a young adult community sample

“…Ethical oversight, language preference, clarity of communications (Kozlowski et al 2002), beliefs about benefits of participation (Halbert et al 2006), and trust between participants and investigators (Corbie-Smith et al 2002) should not be ignored. Contextual factors such as study design and recruitment efforts (Bhutta et al 2013;James et al 2008;Lanfear et al 2011;Patterson et al 2008), incentives (Bhatti et al 2009;Crider et al 2006;McCarty et al 2007), and the method of subject interaction (Etter et al 1998) can also influence participation rates.…”