| Minority groups are often absent or significantly under-represented in clinical research and trials. While in the United States as a whole, American Indians make up less than 1% of the population, in Oklahoma, the American Indian representation is well over 7%. Because American Indians have some of the highest overall rates of morbidity and mortality of any racial group in the United States, Oklahoma is fast becoming the national leader in research with American Indians. However, there remains a desperate need to better understand the barriers of American Indians' participation in clinical research, especially in Oklahoma's rural communities where health disparities are often a major problem. This project focuses on barriers to participation in the context of three research topics (diabetes, genetics and cancer) and asks for participant's personal insight on how Oklahoma researchers can better meet the research needs of its rural American Indian communities. In addition, respondent attitudes toward other research related topics such as informed consent, research compensation, placebo trials, blood and organ donation were evaluated. |
