The Change From Passive to Active Parental Consent on Sample Composition; Do We Exclude At-Risk Youth?

Area of Science:

• Child and Adolescent Psychology
• Research Ethics
• Public Health

Background:

• The landscape of research participation for minors has shifted from passive to active parental consent.
• Understanding factors influencing consent is crucial for ethical research practices and participant representativeness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine adolescent and parental factors predicting consent for youth participation in research during a transition period.
• To identify characteristics of adolescents who are more or less likely to provide consent under active consent models.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal study design involving 691 adolescents aged 12-17.
• Multiple logistic regression analysis incorporating socio-demographic, alcohol use, individual, peer, and parental factors.
• Prediction of non-consent at follow-up to identify factors influencing parental permission.

Main Results:

• Older adolescents (OR=0.60), females (OR=0.60), and those perceiving less strict alcohol rules (OR=1.26) had higher odds of non-consent.
• These factors suggest a selective process in research participation, not exclusively involving high-risk youth.
• The study identified specific demographic and attitudinal predictors of consent refusal.

Conclusions:

• Active parental consent models may lead to a non-representative sample of adolescents in research.
• Ethical considerations must balance adolescent autonomy with protection, acknowledging potential selection biases.
• Further research is needed to understand the long-term implications of these consent shifts on youth research.