Ethical issues in adolescent and parent informed consent for pediatric asthma research participation

This article reviews the empirical literature related to knowledge, competence, volition, and financial compensation in the biomedical research decision-making of children, adolescents, and parents. Research findings indicate there are differences in adolescent and parent understanding and appreciation of research risks and procedures, that opinions about decision-making authority and physician influence for research participation are different in adolescents and parents, and that financial compensation can be a salient factor in the research-related decision-making process. Pediatric asthma researchers can consider these psychological factors involved in adolescent and parent research participation decision-making processes to develop effective informed consent procedures.