Translating and Adapting Research Bioethical Principles to the African Socio-Cultural Contexts: An Integrative Review

Area of Science:

• Bioethics
• African Bioethics
• Research Ethics

Background:

• Aligning Western bioethical principles with African socio-cultural contexts presents significant challenges.
• There is a growing but unmet need for adaptable research bioethics tailored to African realities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop adaptable research bioethics specifically for African socio-cultural contexts.
• To address the gap in culturally sensitive and context-specific ethical frameworks for research in Africa.

Main Methods:

• An integrated review methodology was employed, analyzing 7,175 articles.
• Sixty-eight studies were selected for in-depth analysis to identify emergent themes.
• A conceptual model, the Socio-Cultural Research Ethics Conceptual Model (SCREM), was developed based on identified themes.

Main Results:

• Only three studies reviewed analyzed an existing framework, with none adapted for African contexts.
• Six key themes emerged from the literature, forming the basis of the SCREM framework.
• The SCREM framework was developed as a novel, flexible, and context-sensitive approach.

Conclusions:

• Translating bioethical principles into African contexts is vital for culturally sensitive, inclusive, and equitable research.
• The SCREM framework provides a timely and significant contribution to African bioethics, applicable to Africa's diverse realities.
• Future research should focus on validating and refining SCREM to address specific African health research ethical challenges.