Demographic factors affecting parental attitudes to clinical research in pediatric surgery: A pilot study

The purpose of this study was to evaluate demographic factors impacting parental attitudes to clinical research in pediatric surgery.

A prospective survey administered to caregivers accompanying children (pediatric surgical outpatient clinic or day surgery) using convenience sampling (September-November 2017) using a previously published survey with Likert scale was performed. Questions included demographics, parental willingness to enroll children in specified types of research, and beliefs regarding conduct of research.

Eighty-four parents were surveyed (100 approached). No demographic factors significantly predicted research participation involving sample collection (urine, saliva, blood) or research requiring follow-up. However, mothers were less likely to agree to studies using common medications (p = 0.049) or common surgical procedures (p = 0.013) and less likely to agree to randomization involving surgery (assigning to common surgical procedure, p = 0.013; surgery vs no surgery, p = 0.031). University graduates were less likely to agree to randomization to surgery vs no surgery (p = 0.02). Beliefs regarding conduct of research were similar, except that non-university graduates were more likely to believe that privacy would be compromised (p = 0.003). Boys were deemed less likely to be too sick for participation (p = 0.03) and more likely to want to participate (p = 0.03).

Behavioral and attitude differences in caregivers can inform strategies for recruitment among researchers. Impact of caregiver and child gender on responses requires further evaluation.

Treatment study.

Level II.