Exploring the Relationship between Medical Research Literacy and Respondents’ Expressed Likelihood to Participate in a Clinical Trial

Jennifer Dykema, Cameron P. Jones, Dana Garbarski, Mia Farias and Dorothy Farrar Edwards ()
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Jennifer Dykema: Department of Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
Cameron P. Jones: University of Wisconsin Survey Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
Dana Garbarski: Department of Sociology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL 60660, USA
Mia Farias: University of Wisconsin Survey Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
Dorothy Farrar Edwards: Departments of Kinesiology and Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 22, 1-13

Abstract: Medical research literacy (MRL) is a facet of health literacy that measures a person’s understanding of informed consent and other aspects of participation in medical research. While existing research on MRL is limited, there are reasons to believe MRL may be associated with a willingness to participate in medical research. We use data from a racially balanced sample of survey respondents (n = 410): (1) to analyze how MRL scores vary by respondents’ socio-demographic characteristics; (2) to examine how MRL relates to respondents’ expressed likelihood to participate in a clinical trial; and (3) to provide considerations on the measurement of MRL. The results indicate no differences in MRL scores by race or gender; younger ( p < 0.05) and more educated ( p < 0.001) individuals have significantly higher MRL scores. Further, higher MRL scores are associated with significantly lower levels of expressed likelihood to participate in a clinical trial. Additionally, the MRL scale included both true and false statements, and analyses demonstrate significant differences in how these relate to outcomes. Altogether, the results signal that further research is needed to understand MRL and how it relates to socio-demographic characteristics associated with research participation and can be measured effectively.

Keywords: medical research literacy; health literacy; medical research participation; clinical trials; survey measurement (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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