Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1521797
Inhalation June 2024 39 do it to further science. ey want to do it to make a better oppor- tunity for the children after them. I think that speaks very positively, as well, about the potential for research in the Black community." Abbasi drew attention to "a big misconception that mistrust [of clinical trials or medical person- nel] is the issue." Instead, she explained, "the challenge is acces- sibility. ere isn't hesitancy [to participate], there is a lack of [per- sonnel] coming into the com- munity and educating folks and saying, 'Hey, here's an opportunity that's available.'" "Representation in outreach mat- ters as well," she said. "Having individuals who look like the com- munity that they're trying to target can be helpful. Or you could iden- tify a person who has participated in clinical trials and use them [to provide] a testimonial or as some- body who can be a liaison between the research team and the commu- nity. Also, by conducting trials in these communities, participants would not have to travel or find childcare," she added. Further recommendations for increasing participation Roach believes that patient advo- cacy groups, industry sponsors, institutional review boards and scientific research teams must work together toward improv- ing clinical trial representation of minorities. Her blog post provided multiple approaches that could be implemented before, during and after a trial. Several of her sugges- tions are listed here: Before a trial • Partnering with community advisory councils that represent and engage the target audience • Offering seats at the research table and enabling patient rep- resentatives to weigh in on study protocols and related study materials including informed consent materials Key findings showed: • One in 10 adults and children have participated in some kind of research clinical trial • Six out of 10 adults and chil- dren would be willing to partic- ipate in research • Five out of 10 caregivers would allow their children to partici- pate in research • Seven out of 10 participants said they trust doctors who conduct medical research e survey also asked respondents why they would want to partici- pate in food allergy research. eir motivations included: • to benefit people like me (59%) • to further science (47%) • to get paid or receive some other reward (35%) • to improve my/my child's health or quality of life (29%) • to learn more about my/my child's condition (29%) and • to get access to a type of treat- ment not offered outside of a health research study (18%) Healio reported the survey also determined "the most common food allergies among participants, namely: shellfish (46%), peanut (43%), tree nuts (30%), other (20%), cow's milk (17%), ses- ame (10%), soy (10%), egg (9%), finned fish (9%) and wheat (9%). Generally, the survey participants reported low socioeconomic sta- tus, including 30% with an annual household income of $12,880 or below, 10% between $12,881 and $21,960, and 11% between $21,961 and $31,040." Food insecurity was also an issue and may exacerbate food aller- gies as well, Abbasi explained to Healio, noting there are only three grocery stores in all of Wards 7 and 8. "eir access to healthy, safe food is very lacking in these parts of the city," she added. The challenge is access—not mistrust "ey're mostly altruistic reasons," Abbasi observed. "People want to Studying causes of underrepresentation in clinical trials Recognizing that "minoritized racial, ethnic, and low-income populations are consistently underrepresented in food allergy research and medical research in general," FARE conducted a study to "shed light on why this under- representation exists and how to address it, [thereby] ensuring that food allergy research is more inclusive." A survey was used to "better understand what the bar- riers to research are, because we see low prevalence of participation in the Black community," Adeela Abbasi, FARE's Assistant Director of Health Equity said in an inter- view with Healio. A multi-disciplinary team of cli- nicians, public health profes- sionals, advocates, community partners and survey methodolo- gists designed an online survey, aimed at adult patients and care- givers, to assess the barriers to and predictors of research partic- ipation among persons of lower socioeconomic status and of color. e study authors recruited 68 adults (80% female; 84% Black; 94% non-Hispanic) with food allergy or who were caregivers of children with food allergy (68%). Participants resided in Wards 7 and 8 in Washington, DC, US, an area that is predominantly Black with lower incomes. e survey, which was approved by an inves- tigational review board (IRB), was conducted online in April 2022. Six of 10 adults and children willing to participate Findings from the survey were presented in a poster at the 2023 American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Annual Scientific Meeting by FARE on behalf of the DC Community Access Program (CAP) Commu- nity Advisory Council.