Willingness to Donate Hair Samples for Research Among People Living with HIV/AIDS Attending a Tertiary Health Facility in Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract

The use of hair samples in biomedical research is a rapidly growing field. High acceptability rates for hair collection have been demonstrated in multiple settings. Each setting may have unique issues and, to our knowledge, no previous study has assessed the acceptability of hair sampling for HIV-related research in Nigeria. This study aimed to assess the willingness to donate hair for research among people living with HIV (PLWH). A cross-sectional study was conducted among 381 PLWH in a tertiary institution in Southwest Nigeria, using convenience sampling. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from consenting participants, including a question on willingness to donate hair for research. The mean age of respondents was 42.1 -10.5 years and more than three-quarters of the respondents were females. Two hundred and eighty-eight (75.8%) respondents had at least a tertiary education. Only 51.4% of the respondents were willing to donate their hair for research. Possible sample diversion for rituals was the major (60.5%) reason cited for unwillingness to donate hair. In multivariate analysis, respondents with primary education or less exhibited a trend toward being more willing to donate hair than those with secondary education or more ( p = .091). Muslims were 1.7 times more willing to donate hair than Christians even after adjusting for other demographic covariates (95% confidence interval: 1.11-2.72); p = .016. There is a moderate willingness to donate hair for research among our population of PLWH in Nigeria. These results underscore the importance of cultural sensitivity and community education when introducing innovative HIV research techniques to new settings.

Associations between efavirenz concentrations, pharmacogenetics and neurocognitive performance in people living with HIV in Nigeria

“…Short-term and long-term EFV exposure were determined in DBS and hair samples, respectively. Moreover, hair sample collection was highly successful in this Nigerian cohort (100% acceptability) despite beliefs in this setting that a person's hair can be used for ritual purposes [ 20 ]. We showed significant association between EFV metabolism in CYP2B6 and concentrations of the drug in both plasma and hair.…”

Effect of Text Messaging Plus Peer Navigation on Viral Suppression Among Youth With HIV in the iCARE Nigeria Pilot Study

“…30,46,47 We had planned to directly measure antiretroviral drug levels in hair, 48 but less than a quarter of participants provided hair sample, likely linked to Nigerian men's preference for short hair plus fears among Nigerians that hair may be used for rituals. 49 Antiretroviral drug levels in dried blood spots will be used to objectively measure adherence in the next phase of our study. Finally, it remains to be seen whether already stretched health systems will be able to provide resources such as mobile phones that the study purchased for 40 percent of participants.…”

Attitude towards donation of the excised foreskin after circumcision surgery for research: A study from Madinah, Saudi Arabia

“…Similarly, about 77% of immigrant population in the USA reported a willingness to donate tissue for research purposes [30]. The same level of willingness to donate tissue for research has been reported was in countries such as Canada, Sweden, Nigeria, and Jordan [31][32][33][34]. In Poland, the willingness to donate tissue for research has been to vary according to tissue type ranging from 74% for urine samples to 20% for post-mortem brain fragments [35].…”